Learn about the 'Invasivore' movement at Fermi lecture Nov. 19

The Fermilab Arts and Lecture Series will continue in November with the virtual program "Eat the Invaders: Can Harvesting Introduced Species Reduce Their Impact?" with Dr. Joe Roman of the University of Vermont.

The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. (CST) Friday, Nov. 19. There is a $4 access fee.

Biological control is a common practice to reduce invasive species - but can we direct human appetites to control exotic species?

There are plenty of examples in nature - from wolves to weed-eating moths - where predators help keep their prey in check.

Consider our track record: humans managed to dispatch all 5 billion passenger pigeons - many of them smoked, stewed, fried, or baked in potpies - by 1914.

So why not put our destructive streak to good use for a change?

For the past decade, Joe Roman has been editing "Eat the Invaders!," a website promoting the control of invasives one bite at a time.

Roman will discuss examples of gateway invasives, species such as lionfish and exotic carp, that have been at the forefront of the "Invasivore" movement and present evidence that such efforts can help native biodiversity. He also will share some recipes.

Roman is a conservation biologist and writer at the University of Vermont. His research, focusing on endangered species conservation, invasive species, and marine ecology, has appeared in Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, and many other journals. He has received Fulbright Fellowships in Brazil and Iceland and visiting fellowships at Harvard University and the Duke University Marine Lab, among other awards.

He is "editor 'n' chef" of eattheinvaders.org. He is also the author of Listed: Dispatches from America's Endangered Species Act," winner of the 2012 Rachel Carson Environment Book Award, and the 2006 book "Whale," a cultural history of whales and whaling. He has written for The New York Times, Audubon, New Scientist, Slate, and other publications. You can read his work at joeroman.com.

Online ticketing is available 24/7 at no charge at events.fnal.gov/arts-lecture-series/.

For information and tickets, call (630) 840-ARTS (630-840-2787).

The Fermilab Arts and Lecture Series serves as an open door between Fermilab and our neighboring communities by offering a diverse array of performing arts performances and lectures that celebrate the artistic and intellectual vision of the lab.