May your comments reside in the hearts and minds of all the people of this land. I fear my age will not allow me to continue to do the work that you were speaking of as I have tried to all my life. At 76 I live in the woods and a 12x16 cabin trying to be a part of the land rather than make the land a part of me. Strength and long life be yours forever.

This gets my award for video presentation of the year (perhaps even decade). To have the intelligence, wisdom, and courage to shine a bright light on our blatant hypocrisy in such a clear, balanced and logical form is priceless. The discouraging thing is I know Adam will get a lot of biased and emotional pushback, not based on facts but on prejudices (Dogma) which people don’t want to give up. Bravo Adam!

The automobile has done so much to divorce us from the land, both in insulating us from it and appealing to our desire for comfort, as well as encouraging the construction of roads and highways through wild places, which then leads to development. Thank you Adam for all you do to heighten our awareness and appreciation of mother earth

Thanks for this, Adam. As a conservation professional in Northern Ohio, these are topics we face, discuss, make decisions about on a daily basis. I need to watch this a few more times to get the full message. That being said, I appreciate the thoughtfulness that you put into your videos.

Thank you, Adam, for offering this refreshing perspective: much to consider and to challenge our mindsets.

Dude I just want to go camping with you! Love your videos and love the mindset. You're right, in their own minds they don't need it, so much false security. The idea that dirt and rocks are gross and the woods are scary is one of the greatest travesties of human history, a mindset produced by greed that will continue to morph our planet into something it has never been before.

Something that isn't mentioned in this video is biodiversity. Many non-native and even invasive species can be a decent food source for insects, but many species need specific native plants as larval hosts. Here in Niagara we have seen a massive decline in biodiversity in wild spaces in part because of the success of invasive species. Really great video. Very thought provoking. Thanks.

Hey Adam... glad to have met you several times years ago at Whole Foods. 🌿😍. Living by natural law! Doing no unnecessary harm to another being. Easy... simplicity.....most will never have this conversation with themselves, let alone with others (because of the so called "norm"). I've seen this for nearly 15 years now. Humans try and control everything. Nature heals itself. Always has, always will. I'm a voice of living vegan for nearly 15 years also. Living consciously! Heart knowing awareness... true beauty🌿. May all beings live free and be loved and respected... Much love to ALL❣ GRATITUDE 🤗

We love you Adam. Keep making the world a better place. Namaste 🖤

Always love your perspective, thoughts and research you put into your work. Appreciate you!

Totally Totally agree with you. (Not sure about those blue jays at the beginning of your video. 🙂) Even here in rural America I'm amazed at how people are so oblivious to what the land does for us and how we need the land. I am dismayed when I see cities continue to sprawl and you see all the abandoned properties such as shopping centers, etc. whose land could be reused, but instead we just clear/destroy more "new" land. This nation needs a "Learn Your Land" agency with you at its head. Thanks so much for your thoughts and wisdom.

Well said. I hope people will be open enough to consider this.

In my opinion definitely one of your best videos ever. Thank you Adam

Such a great video! I was struck by your question of whether each one of us feels they need the land and the living landscape; and how clearly it shows, like a perfect mirror, that most do not feel this need on a day-to-day level -- to our detriment. Thanks.

I don't usually make it through an entire video , this is the best video you made yet. Great job , this needs to be said. Thank you

The struggle continues 😢 and very grateful to everyone participating with you who keep focus, perspective, knowledge and wisdom rolling on with Hope!

I always love your videos and appreciate when you question norms. My farmstead is located in a semi-arid part of the United States. I see the effects of climate change everyday. I worked in the invasive species arena as a documentary filmmaker for many years and saw the destruction wrought by hatred of plants and trees. It really does all come down to money on both sides of the debate.

A very thoughtful, yet poignant commentary. You certainly made me reconsider some things. Very grateful for your work and obvious passion for the living. Truly salt of the earth.

Adam is getting into topics of philosophy, economics, sociology, and others while discussing ecological topics. To have such breadth of understand the man must possess wisdom. It is for this reason I hope that many years from now when he is gone he will be recognized not just as a biologist but as a leader and a philosopher.

Nothing I’ve seen in many years makes me think more deeply about myself and my surroundings than your videos Adam. Thank you very much. 👍👍👌

Adam, you are wonderful. I’ve been following your videos for so long, and I’ve learned so much about my land and have changed core thought processes based on your exploratory way of understanding the world around you. This video has once again changed how I think. Thanks for that.

Keep making these videos Adam…very much appreciated. Definitely needed to be said 👍🏼

This video needs to be seen and heard by everyone. You are, among many things, an astute and sentient philosopher. Thank you!

Wow, Adam, Thank you! This is one of your best videos. To answer your question . . . Yes, I do need the land. Not only for food and medicinals, but for grounding (no pun intended). A walk through nature, or even driving and appreciating the Earth's gift of beauty is soul fulfilling.

Bravo once again Adam. You moved me to tears with this one. This is so important.

Thank you for bringing this subject to light! We need to talk about subjects like this a lot more. One love 💚

thanks Adam! I wish more people would think like you do, it would improve soooo many things!

Thank you Adam for sharing not only your thoughts and perspectives of the land , but thank you for sharing your videos with us. 🇺🇸

I really appreciate your perspective and obvious love for the ecosystems we share across the world. Thank you for being you!

You are absolutely, positively spot on with your analysis! Thank you for saying this out loud -- something that millions do not want to hear, let alone discuss.

This made me laugh, made me think, made me agree. Thank goodness for people like you out here in the information space.

Thank you Adam for being willing to share this important viewpoint.

Well said, Adam. I appreciate the attempt to articulate a nuanced position even if it's still a work in progress. This will contribute to the conversation!

Such important questions and observations, Adam. Thank you for putting them out there.

Fully agree. One only needs to ask "how did it get here in the first place?". When it comes to planting flowers and trees, I do my best to only include native species, but I'm also fully aware that we are the reason these plants and animals make their ways around the world.

This is a wonderful video and a catalyst for some powerful thoughts. Thank you, Adam.

Very wise of you sir, you've said a lot of things I thought about for years without the proper words to convey and you've opened my eyes on some other things too.

Thank you Adam I always look forward to your videos always so jam-packed full of education that one can use in everyday life. Till next time, God bless

For quite a while now, every time there is a Japanese Beetle in the yard I say live another day. You didn't ask to be here. Interesting and informative as always. Thanks, Adam.

Rock on, Adam. You blew me away with this one. These are thoughts I have been trying to articulate for a long time and then, Bam!, you concisely knocked it out of the park. Thank you.

Adam, I'm always surprised at how wise you are! You're a beautiful light worker, even if you don't know it. Thank you for all you do. I truly appreciate you.😁💙☮️👽😎

Just - wow! You are a brave and bright soul. You speak truth and wisdom and open people's minds to new perspectives. All of these things - and more - needed to be said at this time. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

very refreshing to hear. I've had a lot of these thoughts and it is often times alienating when talking with others that bring up the "dreaded" invasives. Thanks for making me feel less alone.

Thank you so much for this thought provoking video. As usual, it was really well made!

What a brilliant exposition of this topic. Very introspective and important for considering our place in this grand creation. Love the analogy from little love story from Solomon. Keep up the fight to educate us hard heads. We will eventually get it!

Dear Adam! Thank you so much for everything you are doing! You are so right about it! Let the nature do it's work!

Bravo!! So thoughtful and articulate. For me, this is a call to action to stop, consider and change my behaviors. Thank you for the better informed perspective!

Wow, the aspects you highlight resonate on so many levels. I couldn't agree more. Thank you! Many varieties of flora that is generally considered NATIVE now was once NON-NATIVE.

Mind blowing! You have tied so many topics of discussion into one broader and more encompassing perspective. Thank you.

"The land is a mirror." So true. Just as we are a mirror of our environment. Thanks for this video.

This is beautiful, Adam. I have been surprised to find native plant and/or invasive eradication communities full of toxicity and ignorance, and I think you're put your finger on the heart of why. These are complex questions, and I think a lot of the people in the native plant space (but certainly not all) don't have the necessary relationship with the natural world to see the problem of invasive species holistically. For example, I've heard people vilify Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) without realizing it's the same species as the common carrot, or that nearly all the vegetables we eat in North America are non-natives. I've heard cries of "save the bees!" next to "destroy non-natives!" not realizing that the honeybee, Apis mellifera, is not a native species, and that the things that are helpful to honeybees may not be helpful to bumblebees or halictid bees or any of the beautiful variety of native bees of North America. I very much agree re: habitat, too, and it breaks my heart whenever I see ground being broken for a new housing development, knowing it will soon turn into a thicket of multiflora rose and bittersweet. But OTOH, there's an estimated shortage of 6 million houses in the U.S.! I want forests, but also want people to have affordable places to live. Can we reconcile this? Or is it a matter of holding the contradictions in our head?

Amen brilliant soul! You are amazing! Thank you for speaking the much needed truth! 🍁🍂🦋🪳🐛🌳

Once again you've succeeded at delivering a very thought provoking video! Thanks so much, Adam!

So glad to see another video your channel means alot to me I really appreciate you I wouldn't know the things I know or be inspired in the way that I am to be a mycologist if it weren't from you Adam

This is one of the top ten of your videos, if not the top! Great to hear a conversation about this, especially to point out that there has been human management for many more years than most people consider and to the broader point of just what is a "native"?

Well said Adam and a well written newsletter that led me to this video. Great perspectives on native and non native. We that travel the world are considered native to the area in which we were born. Even tribal people all over the world didn’t just spring up out of the land but, they all got there due to travel. Great perspective and thank you for it. I recently suggested you to another one of your neighbors with a KZfaq channel there in Pennsylvania Fred Dunn from The Way to Bee. I thought that you would be good together.

Wise words with an excellent presentation.

Absolutely brilliant. Keep up the good work

Thank you Adam for this very thought provoking video. Love your videos.

Great video! I work for an SLF monitoring and eradication program and these are questions that I spend a lot of time thinking about. The current public sentiment around SLF (that being; kill on sight) is helpful from a management perspective, but it certainly places the blame on an insect that is simply performing its normal biological functions. In reality, the invasion of SLF and its host Ailanthus altissima are the result of increased volume of oversees shipments, lax international trade regulations, and irresponsible development/construction projects. I try to make that a part of the conversation when I'm speaking to the public but most people just want me to say "smash 'em!". That being said I do still think that the control of invasive species is necessary for preserving our ecosystems. I don't know if you meant it this way but I don't necessarily agree with the idea that just because native populations also migrate into new territory, the 1492 cutoff being mostly arbitrary and ignoring indigenous history, and the lack of data on the nutritional value of invasives, is reason enough to throw our hands up and allow these invasives to run rampant. Certainly it can be said that species like ailanthus, bittersweet, barberry, and kudzo, are a threat to biodiversity. These species choke out native plants and turn diverse ecosystems into monocultures. Even if native birds and mammals are able to get their nutrition from these plants, if the environment changes or a disease introduced and the invasive species die off, the native consumers are left without any source of food and will likely die off as well.

This is the kind of philosophy that brings the universe together. Thank you!

YES ADAM, BRILLIANTLY DONE!!!! Taking it a step you alluded to, we non-indigenous folks should be identified as very, very invasive and destructive, yet we loose that perspective regularly and the insights it could bring. The discussion is complicated and fraught with emotions. This piece is very thought provoking. Thank you.

Great perspective and thanks for sharing your thoughts. Most of us unfortunately are not even self aware of who they are much less conscious about the land.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Very well stated. Finally, Common sense is brought into this topic of conversation. ( I saw a lantern fly the other day and did not have the heart to squash it for the very reasons you explain in this video. I thought I was alone in feeling this way). We truly do ignore the root problems and only treat the symptoms. I hope the change will happen that is needed

Hi Adam! I want to Thank you for making this well thought out thought provoking video. I am originally a from a suburb of Pittsburgh but currently live in Sydney Australia. Australia shares a similar past not unlike America with respect to how indigenous cultures are recognized and treated. I would venture to say that it is not commonly known but likewise here in Australia the Indigenous people played a major role in managing the land prior to colonization. Some of the lands here were often managed in such away as to be reflective of contemporary European gardens and estates at the time( 1788) . The English were quite surprised to find Australia in such a state I am told. There also exists here a strong sentiment with respect to native and exotic species and their impacts on the environment and relations with each other. On Tuesday of this week I attended a workshop by a lovely and passionate immigrant (non native) to Australia who shares his knowledge and stories of edible weeds with those who care to take an interest. While on this foraging course this same theme of native vs. exotic or non native species came up in discussion as one of the other attendants to the course was heavily involved in what is referred to her as bush regeneration. Two seemingly opposed sides or viewpoints on first inspection. However, as the course went on and more knowledge and stories were told, it turned out that a cooperative relationship between foragers and bush management was very profitable for both parties. I thought you might be interested in this as I think it illustrates to some extent that these thoughts are arising to and through the consciousness of those whom try to walk in and with respect for "Country" as it is called here. I guess I just wanted to share that as I miss the Pennsylvania wilderness and enjoying watching your content. Thanks Again Mate!

Nicely articulated Adam. I have recently stretched my limited followers with the idea that today‘s greatest oxymoron is a human declaring another organism as an invasive species.

My husband and I live on 75 acres adjacent to many thousands of acres of national forest. We consider ourselves stewards of the land rather than "owners" and as such we try very hard to keep the landscape in balance and to have a small personal footprint. We have carefully managed our glades to control the aggressive (native) Juniperus virginiana in order to allow native grasses and flowers to come back--which, of course, encourages native fauna as well. Species diversity among natives has always been our goal. When we first moved here 30 years ago we assiduously dug out dandelions, plantain, lespedeza, etc. in our quest to eradicate anything non-native. Then one day, like a light going on in our heads, we realized how beautiful and truly wonderful dandelions were; how healthful plantain was, how much quail enjoyed lespedeza seeds, and it gave us pause. We began to notice how many of the "invasive species" were actually benefiting the native pollinators and providing herbage, fruits and seeds for deer and other wildlife. We began to ask ourselves "how is this bad?" Sometimes, in the case of truly aggressive invasives like kudzu, the answer was obvious and it was definitely NOT good. In other cases, the answer could only be found by study and much contemplation ... with our own devils and angels perched on our shoulders whispering the pros and cons as we tried to think things through. What it has ultimately come down to for us is a test involving two things. The first is a question of balance--does the organism benefit more than it harms, and does it maintain an ecologically neutral or relatively small footprint. The second thing has come to us more recently, and is a direct result of climate change. We see the world changing (getting increasingly hotter, involving more extreme weather patterns with droughts and floods in unlikely places, and so on) and we ask ourselves ... "which of these life-giving organisms is likely to still survive in 10 years or 50 or 100 years? Should we be removing something from the environment if it is the most fit to survive the destruction we are causing to Mother Earth? Shouldn't we, instead, be encouraging anything that CAN grow TO grow and thrive? In a few years (geologically speaking) we may be faced with a desert planet. Too late, people may wake up and then every living thing will be precious to everyone. These invasive species may be the sole survivors of the planet's once bountiful flora and fauna. The very toughness that allows them to claim new space may be the features of the future that let them live when we have killed everything else. So now, we have adopted a policy of live and let live. We monitor for overly aggressive species and take measures to control rampant overgrowth, but we no longer strive to eradicate. Balance is the key word. BALANCE in all things--the Golden Mean.

Thank you again, Adam. This talk has made me feel diffrent about what it is to be invasive and native. Hugs.

Adam, I agree with your thoughts which give us much to ponder on the Non-Native species topic. Thank you for another excellent and thought provoking video. Cheers.

GREAT VIDEO! I have always been a fan of your educational videos, and had great respect for you, and it increased even more so with this video. The simple notion of judging situations through rational thought instead of emotions is an ever increasing rare occurance, unfortunately. Keep it up and stay strong, brother of the woods.

Great video! "We have to be willing to question our beliefs, also practice what we preach" the world will be a much better place if majority of us could do that

Yes! I share exactly the same perspectives, thoughts, ideas, and values that you illustrated in this video. You did an excellent job of illustrating those thoughts, ideas, opinions and perspectives. I completely agree with everything you stated here! And yes, it is true. The natives that were here before us Europeans inhabited this land were excellent stewards of the land and they managed it to near perfection. Hopefully we can get back to some assemblance of that in the future. Between permaculture regenerative egg education and many other pieces over time, maybe we can fix at least some of this ecosystem. Thanks so much!

You are SPOT ON ....lots of truth in your message. Keep it up. Most cannot think like this. I agree totally!!!!

Adam Harrison for President 2024! Great video my brother. If more people had your insight and outlook this world would be a much better place.

Well said. Amazingly unique perspective. No wonder we like you, always making us think.

Really I think this is one of the most important conversations we need to have when we talk about being stewards of our ecosystem...I think we should have a meeting to make community to have this conversation.

Adam, this was excellent: the reasoning, the writing and deliverance, imagery, video editing. This could be a TED Talk!

Awesome video as usual. To one of your last points about the impact of the native peoples on this land, I am reading a great book that is showing me that. "Tending the Wild" by M. Kat Anderson. It focuses on California but is like a trip back in time.

Good message, Adam. It gives people on both sides of the fence something to think about; not the least of which is to consider doing away with the fence altogether.

Yes! Yes to all your insightful questions and thoughtful answers. I would only add that why is it that humans think it is necessary to anchor a landscape to a particular point in time when nature does No Such Thing. Nature is always experimenting as climate changes naturally on its own and also now under the extreme pressures that we have added to the process. But nature is always experimenting moving plants and animal species around to see if they can thrive in other environments. It is such hubris to think that we know what is best. Love this talk! Thank you so much! ❤

Adam…beautiful..you are the essence of great concioussness to the land, and why you can so rationally and brilliantly speak of it, and to it…what a great human you are ‘traveling’ on on land…This video was GREAT in so many hundreds of ways..Thank you (hugs)

Excellent submission today, even better than the already outstanding quality of your work. Much, food for thought, for all of us.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is a very important message. 🙏

That’s brilliant - consciously needing the land. If more of us can make that shift … in outlook and behavior 😇

Love this Adam! Way to drop the mic! Agree with you on this 100% your a beautiful soul! Love your content and have learned so so much from you. THANK YOU ❤️

Shared on social media. These ideas need to be spread far and wide!

Wow, thank you! You made some incredibly deep points that expanded my thinking. I'm a watershed steward and environmentalist and I'm seeing invasives literally taking over. But, we brought them here because we travel everywhere. Many, we actually invited. I totally resonate with the stress aspect of seeing an environmen devolve. Once your eyes are open, it's shocking to see how much impact we've made on our ecology and environment. Especially how some native species are struggling. We've lost 24 mature oak trees in my community this year to sudden oak death and I performed a lot of detective work to understand why. It's a complex web of factors, but we're the cause. And it literally hurts to watch them dying and feel helpless to save them. It was a lesson in nature and how precious our trees are. And how vulnerable they are to our impact. You're right, it's important for us to see how we ourselves are not living in harmony with the Earth. Perhaps it's not possible. Perhaps we're the primary invasive species of the entire planet. But, we could also be its loving gardners if we're more consciously involved in our relationship with it. The best we can be is to be conscious of our relationship with the Earth and our inevitable footprint on it and tread lightly and with intention. We're part of it. And it's part of us. We need to remember that symbiosis.Many of us have become detached unconcious consumers rather than conscious stewards - both within and without.

I wasn’t so sure about your travel analogy and i might’ve been happier to hear more on the topic of the impacts of invasives on biodiversity but I guess there’s plenty of doom and gloom content in the topic. I personally don’t patronize Amazon and prioritize indi shops but hasn’t drawn such a close parallel between the natural and retail ecosystems before you did. Your presentation was very thoughtful and informative as always! Thanks so much for the wholesome and informative content you create!!!

Excellent. I try to recognize the miracle of life now, in this space and time, regardless of all the wrongs. Millions of years of chance events brought us to here. How can we not be heartfully amazed and feel love to all those alive in this moment?

You are 100% as responsible as every land developer or politician. Not only operating as part of, but contributing to the growth of the system that causes it, makes you as guilty as the rest. The act of using youtube helps support and strengthen the system. There are no innocents actively in modern society and each of us share the blame equally. If we care, we can walk away, if we stay, we support the negatives.

You are a breath of fresh air! Thank you! I try opening peoples eyes on topics like this daily. Love your content!

I like you, Haritan. I like the way you look at the broader picture. I like that you don't take the short and easy road, that you are more far-sighted than most and that you continue to learn and to teach. I'm always happy to see a new posting from you.

I love your attitude! Please keep shedding light and spreading knowledge.

Great video Adam. Today I took my mother on a country drive. Back in the '70s and '80s, there were fields after fields of corn. Fields after fields of cows, horses, and pigs. Today there was drilling fields, housing plans, and very few farms. You're right Adam.

Another great video with thought provoking questions. I appreciate you taking your time to share your thoughts on this and so many issues! Yes to squashing amazon!

Bravo! Thank you Adam, everyone needs to hear/watch this

Thank you, thank you, thank you ! I can't possibly tell you how strongly I have felt same way you do about the disconnect many people have on this topic.

I don't know a lot about plants or bugs, and I'm always happy to see them. I genuinely love Russian olive blooms and Japanese beetles. I know they're not "supposed" to be here, but they're so pretty.

Adam, I just want to tell you that you are the best! I really enjoy all of your videos! I am learning so much from you sharing your knowledge. Please don’t stop doing these videos anytime soon, because you are simply amazing! I really admire you, and all of your knowledge. I just want to say thank you.

Love this content. Thank you...This video is about growing awareness and how fragile our ecosystem is. Each organism depends and interconnected with each other.