Adding invasive species to your table this holiday season can help cut food costs and protect your local ecosystem. 

Jacob Barney, a professor at Virginia Tech, is encouraging his students and their families to help combat invasive species in their area by incorporating some of them into their meals this holiday season. 

Invasive species populations can explode in areas where there are no natural checks and balances. This means they can outcompete native species for space and nutrients and threaten biodiversity.  

However, a measure of control can be achieved by utilizing them in a number of festive recipes. 

"It's also a nice way for students to learn about new species, discover new uses, and otherwise just share in a feast of invaders," Barney told Virginia Tech News. 

He specifically recommended feral or wild hog, which is running rampant in states like Texas and tearing up people's lawns. 

"Similar to domestic pigs, the meat can be prepared in a wide variety of ways," Barney added. "It also makes great jerky." 

Proposals to eat invasive species are not new, but they are growing in popularity as more areas are threatened by their spread. Eating invasives has even gained a name: invasivorism. 

"There are some niche movements to promote eating invasive species, which tend to be regional, like eating lionfish in Florida or the 'copi' or bighead carp in the Midwest," Barney said. 

Barney added that invasive species can have serious negative consequences for the environment, native plants and animals, and humans. 

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"While we will never be able to eat enough invasive species to reduce their overall number or impact, understanding their effects on our landscapes will help prevent the introduction and spread of the next feral hog or kudzu." 

Kudzu, a fast-growing vine, is native to east Asia but has spread quickly in the southern United States. That's why people have taken to making jelly, soup and noodles from it. 

In addition to clearing problematic species from the ecosystem to benefit biodiversity and the food web, eating invasives can reduce grocery bills, making the activity a win-win for the environment and your wallet. 

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