Have you ever had someone ask— out of the blue—if they could do free manual labor for your for-profit company, just because they believed in the work? I have. Multiple times. It’s not because my company’s work is glamorous. It’s not. We cut, pull, and dig. Honeysuckle, privet, and burning bush that is thicker than scaffolding, gripping the understory. Wintercreeper, ivy, and bittersweet vines wrapped tight around trees. Hands raw. Arms scratched. Boots muddy. Muscles burning. And yet—it feels amazing. Not in an abstract, “doing-good-feels-good” way, but in a visceral, deeply human way.
Because in a world where the problems feel massive, tangled, too big to undo—climate change, pollinator decline, biodiversity collapse— there’s a collective hunger for something tangible. Something that feels more real than just pressing a “donate” button or arguing online about the state of the world.
And this is something we can roll up our sleeves and fix. Right now. With chainsaws, shovels, and loppers. With sweat and strategy. This is restoration in its most tangible form: cut, and light floods back in. Soon, seeds that have waited years awaken. An ecosystem breathes again.
This is not just weeding. This is repair. A direct, visible way to rewrite the story of the land, trading depletion for abundance. At Goldfinch Garden Design, we don’t just plant, we rebuild. We are an ecological design, build, and ongoing care company focused on native plant landscapes that support biodiversity, pollinators, and wildlife. But before native plants can thrive, they need space to grow. That’s why invasive species removal is at the core of our work—editing out what doesn’t belong, strengthening what does, and setting the land up for long-term resilience.
Our business takes a triple bottom line approach (profit, people, planet), so our “whys” do too.
PROFIT. Sustainability is where the industry is going. More and more, clients want pollinator-friendly landscapes, regenerative land care, and low-maintenance, ecologically-sound designs. But before any of that can happen, invasives have to go. That’s why invasive species removal is the most overlooked, high-demand ecological service in landscaping today.
1. Landowners see the problem. Honeysuckle and kudzu swallowing their woods, invasive grasses choking out meadows—but they don’t know who to call. Almost no one is offering this service at scale. This is an enormous opportunity for green industry professionals across multiple sectors.
2. There is high demand. HOAs, parks, municipalities, and private landowners need this work.
3. The service is scalable. With repeatable Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), it’s easy to train crews and expand the service.
4. It’s future-proof. As sustainability becomes the industry standard, businesses offering ecological services will stay relevant and in demand.
5. Off-season potential is great. Many invasives stay green longer than other plants, making them especially easy to spot and remove when other work slows. While specifics vary, many can still be effectively tackled in winter, making this a prime opportunity for steady off-season revenue.
Offering invasive species removal gives your business an immediate foothold in the sustainability market without an expensive rebrand, a PhD in horticulture, or a complete shift in operations. And right now, the companies that step into this space first will be the ones leading the industry shift.
PEOPLE. After countless hours removing invasive plants, I’ve had a lot of time to think about why people (including me) love doing this work. It comes down to four basic human truths:
1. Raw destruction is weirdly cathartic. Real talk: demolition is fun. There’s a reason kids love stomping on sandcastles and why people pay good money to smash office printers in rage rooms. If you woke up with any pent-up frustration about taxes, email overload, or the general existential weight of adulthood, it’ll definitely be gone by the time you leave the job site.
2. We like when an enemy gets smote. The human brain loves a good-versus-evil story. I’m about as pacifist as it gets—but even I can’t help but internally fist-pump when Legolas and Gimli are mowing down orcs at Helm’s Deep like they’ve got commission-based incentives. The instinct to take down a perceived invader runs deep.
But if history has taught us anything, it’s that this impulse can lead us to some very dark places if we aren’t careful. So let’s be clear: that kind of language should never be applied to people. But honeysuckle is not a person. Kudzu is not a persecuted group. These species, though balanced in their original ecosystems, are actively unraveling biodiversity. For once, we get to swing our swords (or, more practically, our reciprocating saws), knowing that we’re truly on the right side of things.
3. We’re obsessed with tidiness. There’s a reason power-washing videos have a cult following. We crave control, we want things in their proper place—which is why people get twitchy about weeds in a lawn. The trick is redirecting that energy toward restoring biodiversity instead of harming it.
For decades, landscaping has been about taming chaos—shaping outdoor spaces to be neat, functional, and beautiful. There is real skill in that work, a craft in making a landscape look intentional, structured, designed. But as we’ve refined aesthetics, we haven’t always accounted for ecology. We’ve innocently introduced plants for their hardiness, blooms, and fast growth, without realizing some of them would later overrun entire landscapes.
Invasive species removal is the rare opportunity where we can channel that same instinct for order into something that is not just satisfying, but scientifically, ecologically, and ethically sound. Here, clearing, cutting, and cleaning up are exactly what the land needs to recover.
4. We crave purpose. Humans are wired for meaning—without it, we spiral. The beauty of invasive removal? It’s instant purpose, right there in the dirt. You are saving butterflies and baby birds, and if that doesn’t move you, you might not have two pinches of soul to rub together.
When your crew feels that purpose, work stops being just a job. Hard days aren’t as draining, and effort feels invested rather than spent. People don’t just work for a paycheck, they work for something that matters. Give them both, and you build a team that’s driven, engaged, and proud of what they do. It feels good to do this work—but it’s not just about feeling good. It’s about stopping a slow collapse before it’s too late. Because when we lose native plants, we lose everything that depends on them.
PLANET. Not all non-native plants are a problem. But none of them sustain life like native plants do. Over 90% of plant-eating insects are specialists, meaning they can only survive on the native plants they evolved alongside. Take those plants away, and the insects disappear. And when the insects disappear? The birds follow. Birds don’t raise their chicks on seeds and berries. 96% of North American terrestrial birds feed their young almost exclusively on caterpillars and other insects. No insects, no baby birds. No baby birds, no future population. This isn’t abstract. It’s measurable, visible, happening right now. And invasive species, which alter soil chemistry and choke out the plants that fuel the entire food web, are a direct cause. But, good news: We know how to reverse it.
When crews are well-trained, tools are chosen wisely, and removal methods are strategic, the impact lasts for years.
1. Learn before you cut. Not all invasives behave the same way, and the worst offenders vary by region. Before you start, know exactly what you’re dealing with. The best resources for invasive species identification and management include:
• State natural resource agencies
• Native plant societies
• Invasive species councils
• Land grant universities & cooperative extension services
2. Train your crew with clear SOPs. A clear SOP ensures your team works efficiently, effectively, and safely. For each individual plant species, your SOP should include:
• ID guide – Photos, descriptions, seasonal changes, and native lookalikes to avoid mistakes.
• Removal method – Mechanical vs. chemical approaches, best timing, and safe disposal.
• Herbicide protocols – Specify type, concentration, and application method.
• Safety measures – PPE requirements, first aid, and OSHA compliance.
• Quality control – Photo documentation, checklists, and herbicide tracking should be in use.
3. Use the right tools for the job. You don’t need expensive equipment to do this work well. Heavy machinery disturbs and compacts soil, often making things worse by creating ideal conditions for more invasives to take hold. Handheld tools give better control. A chainsaw with a 16-18-inch bar is useful for the largest shrubs, but for 95% of the work, it’s unnecessary. An 8-inch battery-powered pruning chainsaw is safer, lighter, greener, and easier for crews who don’t have arborist training. For cutting roots and removing smaller woody plants, a reciprocating saw with a pruning blade is incredibly effective.
4. Apply the right removal strategy. Each invasive species has unique vulnerabilities. Whenever possible, mechanical removal should be the first choice—cutting, digging, and pulling without chemicals. But for woody species that resprout aggressively, a cut-stump herbicide application immediately after cutting may be necessary. The key is precision. Using daubber bottles with a dyed solution keeps herbicide exactly where it’s needed. Some species do require foliar application, but many don’t. Herbicide choice, concentration, and application method should always be based on species-specific research and local regulations.
Invasive species removal gives us hope because unlike so much of the environmental movement, it doesn’t stall in policy debates or hinge on technology that may never arrive. It’s simpler than that. It’s just real, honest work. Hands in the dirt. Blades to the stems. Sweat in the sun. Crews in the field, getting it done. And it works. Because nature is tenacious. The land won’t heal without help, but it’s not beyond repair. Clear the way, and life takes back what it lost. n
AUTHOR
Goldfinch Garden Design, LLC
molly@goldfinchgardendesign.com