Extract
“I knew exactly what to do. But in a much more real sense, I had no idea what to do.”
—Michael Scott, The Office
Invasive species are undoubtedly one of the most impactful forces affecting forests worldwide (Boyd et al. 2013, Zenni et al. 2021), and maybe, at some level, that’s what drew us both to study these insects during our graduate education. But regardless of how much one studies and researches an invasive insect—especially a federally regulated one—there is no adequate preparation for being involved when a well-known, incredibly detrimental invasive species is discovered in an area for which you are responsible. For better or worse, we’ve both had that experience, and while our stories differ, there are similarities: we were both working in an official capacity with the state government or university when a federally regulated invasive forest pest was discovered in our respective states, and we both uttered the same four-letter word when we found out. Despite our education and experience, neither of us was really prepared for what would ensue.
