Raven Sterling
The Village Nature Series, a cherished collaboration between Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and The Village Green, turns its September spotlight on a quiet but relentless threat: invasive plant species. On Tuesday, September 30, Raven Sterling of Raven Invasive Plant Management will share her insights at The Village Green in Cashiers.
Invasive plants wreak havoc on native ecosystems—choking out trees, crowding out beneficial flora, and diminishing biodiversity. With a thoughtful, hands-on approach, Ms. Sterling demonstrates how mechanical removal and mindful management can restore balance to our landscapes.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve sought solace and refuge in the trees,” she reflects. “When I moved into Asheville after seven years in the mountains of Barnardsville, I was shocked by the spread of English Ivy in our neighborhoods.”
That awakening led her to uncover a host of other threats—Oriental Bittersweet, Porcelainberry, Kudzu, Japanese Knotweed, Japanese Stiltgrass. “Trees and native plants are some of our most precious resources, and we’re losing them at an alarming rate,” she says. “Invasive plants are literally strangling the life out of trees and choking out native, beneficial plants that provide food and habitat for critters of all shapes and sizes. The costs are immeasurable in so many ways.”
Her presentation will highlight how holistic practices not only reduce infestations but also improve soil and water quality, restore habitat, and give native species a fighting chance to thrive.
Ms. Sterling’s message is clear: when we care for the trees, we care for everything that matters.
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