Pennsylvanians are taking action—and making a real difference—in restoring healthier, more resilient landscapes. In 2025, residents across the state came together to remove invasive plants from their yards and communities, replacing them with beautiful native trees provided through the Pennsylvania Invasive Replace‑ive Program.
This simple "remove and replace" model empowers residents to improve local habitat, support wildlife, and protect Pennsylvania’s natural heritage starting in their own yards.
2025 Achievements
The Pennsylvania Invasive Replace-ive (PAIR) program was created in 2025 by multiple agencies committed to supporting residential efforts to replace invasive trees and shrubs with native plants.
The program saw tremendous enthusiasm, demonstrating just how committed people are to caring for their landscapes and communities.
More than 300 Pennsylvanians registered to receive native trees at one of five distribution sites after removing invasive "woodies"-- a.k.a. trees and shrubs-- from their yards.
In total, countless invasives were removed and over 1,300 native trees were distributed to households across the Commonwealth.
Demand was so high that distribution event registrations filled faster than expected, with many more people on waiting lists.
The overwhelming response confirmed that people want to take meaningful, local action to protect the environment—and they appreciate a program that makes it easy and accessible.
These 2025 accomplishments didn't just result in new trees planted.
Every invasive removed and every native added helps slow the spread of problematic plants, boosts habitat for birds and pollinators, and strengthens community green spaces.
The first year's success provided a strong foundation for continued statewide support and involvement.
One 2025 participant reflected, “I believe in the mission of removing invasives and the outreach that you all are doing. I wouldn't have been as aggressive with my removal without PAIR. I think [removing invasives and adding natives] is crucial to the longevity, and we're at the cusp of no return to fix things.”
These words echo the urgency, but also the hope: that our actions matter and that we can be good neighbors and stewards.
Why This Program Matters
Landscape plants can elicit smiles and fond memories from those of us whose gardening knowledge comes from childhood summers spent tending flowers with a parent.
And those smiles aren’t reserved for people with a personal connection to the plants; they can be enjoyed by everyone.
However, each of our plant decisions can have a real impact on our local community and ecosystem.
While many non-native invasive species are planted to add beauty and ornamental value to a landscape, unsuspecting homeowners and commercial landscapers may not realize the negative ecological and economic impacts these species can have on nearby natural areas.
To compound the problem, some of these non-native species may not have exhibited invasive tendencies at the time that they were planted.
These non-native invasive species fill a niche in their native ranges but can outcompete and displace some of our native plants here.
This matters because all native plants evolved in a relationship with the living and non-living conditions in their ecosystem.
Nothing develops in isolation and there are interwoven food webs that incorporate the plants and animals of an area.
By providing native plants, we are supporting the food and habitat needs of local pollinators, beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife.
There can be ripple positive effects from native plants too, including increased carbon sequestration and stormwater infiltration, increased animal diversity, and pollinator corridors when you plant natives with your neighbors.
Invasive plants disrupt ecosystems, crowd out native vegetation, and make it harder for wildlife to thrive.
They even contribute to environmental and agricultural problems across the state, harming farm productivity and natural areas.
State leaders have emphasized that replacing invasives with native species is one of the simplest and most impactful actions homeowners can take.
Program Returning in 2026
The PA Invasive Replace-ive Program is proof that individuals and communities can make a tangible difference. Each removal, each native planting, reconnects and strengthens our local ecosystems.
Restoring native landscapes is not a solitary act; it is a relational one. By thinking generationally, we create ecosystems that are abundant, resilient, and full of life. The future is rich, and hope is rooted in action.
Thanks to strong public interest and successful statewide collaboration, the PA Invasive Replace‑ive Program is continuing this year!
Registration will open this spring, with even more tree and shrub‑distribution events scheduled across Pennsylvania.
In the meantime, be on the lookout to remove invasive trees and shrubs in your yard or with landowner permission.
We encourage the removal of selected, high priority (Tier 1) species when possible; however, other woody invasive species are also acceptable.
Removal should follow recommended practices, as outlined below--
-- Tier 1: Callery pear (Bradford pear); Tree-of-heaven; Princess tree; Norway maple; Japanese barberry; Burning bush; Butterfly bush; Privet; Autumn olive; Other woody trees and shrubs species listed by DCNR.
If you need assistance identifying potential invasive species on your property, contact RA-NRCommunityForest@pa.gov, AskaMWS@PSU.edu, or your county’s Penn State Extension Master Gardener Hotline.
Include one or more photos of the observed species in your email.. Ensure your photo(s) are clear and crisp and show the leaves (if possible), bark, and entire plant.
Knowledgeable staff or volunteers can review your photo(s) and respond with their thoughts on identification.
Additional species identification resources are available from Penn State Extension, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania SeaGrant, and PA iMapInvasives.
More information about the PA Invasive Replace-ive Program can be found online.
The Pennsylvania Invasive Replace-ive Project is a collaborative effort between Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program, PA SeaGrant, and Western PA Conservancy.
Funding for the 2026 Pennsylvania Invasive Plant Replace-ive Program is provided by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Click Here for the Penn State Extension article.
Visit the Penn State Extension website to learn more about many other educational opportunities.
Other Extension Education Programs
-- Penn State Extension Feb. 24 Webinar - Growing With Master Gardeners Program, Noon
-- Registration Open For 5-Part Ag Water Webinar Series Starting March 2; Penn State Extension Watershed News [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Hosts March 18 In-Person Seeds To Saplings Saving Streams Workshop In York County [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Hosts April 7 Webinar On Grazing Sheep At Solar Energy Facilities [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Hosts Mid-Atlantic Agroforestry Conference June 4-5 In Huntingdon County [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Ag Conservation News: Multifunction Riparian Buffers; Grazing Management; Online Learning
Related Penn State Extension Articles:
-- Seeing Streams Clearly: How Educators Can Get Involved With Local Waterways
-- Headwaters: What They Are And Why They Matter
-- Plastic Tubes Or Metal Cages? Rethinking How We Protect Young Trees
-- Extension Private Water Supply Education And Water Testing In 2025
-- Introduction To Livestock Watering Facilities
-- PA Invasive Replace-ive Program To Encourage Replacing Invasive Species With Native Plants To Continue, Expand In 2026
Related Article This Week:
-- PA Interfaith Power & Light Launches Roots, Branches & Hands Initiative To Plant 55,000 Native Trees And Shrubs [PaEN]
(Reprinted from the Penn State Extension Watershed Winds newsletter. Click Here to sign up for your own copy (bottom of page).)
[Posted: February 20, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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