A friend of the Park recently returned from a trip to Iceland. While sharing some photos, they went into some depth about an experience riding an Icelandic Horse.

If you’ve not been, Iceland is a magical place. Around 394,000 call it home, and most of them live in the capital city of Reykjavik. Once you leave the city, it gets desolate pretty quickly. But along the Ring Road which circles the island, you’ll encounter thermal springs, incredible waterfalls, spots like the black sand beach at Reynisfjara, glaciers, and more.

Perhaps the most ubiquitous image of Iceland is the horse, and the Icelanders are fiercely protective of them.

First things first – it’s a horse and folks get upset if you call it a “pony.” They came to Iceland with Vikings from Scandanavia between 860 and 935 AD. While there were a few attempts to mix in other breeds, in 982 the Althing (Iceland’s parliament and the oldest national legislature in the world) passed laws banning the importation of other horses. They’ve been recognized as a pure breed for over 1,000 years.

You are not allowed to bring a horse into Iceland. Once a horse leaves Iceland, it can never come back. If you go riding while in Iceland, you’re not allowed to bring any of your favored tack with you – no riding britches, boots, or any other piece of gear.

Because they’ve been isolated for so long, Icelandic Horses have never needed to be vaccinated for common equine diseases, and the Icelanders plan to keep it that way. They know that a large part of their economy comes from tourism, and folks don’t visit for the museums or the food – they come for the environment and the parts of the environment that are distinctly Icelandic.

They go to great lengths to protect their native species and protect against invasive ones.

Which brings us home to Virginia.

The Invasive Plant Task Force is constantly working in the Park to remove plants that aren’t supposed to be there, promoting a healthy ecosystem for plants that are. While they enjoy the support of thousands of volunteer hours each year, a new program, Habitat Heroes, offers a way for more to get involved.

But plants aren’t the only invasive issue in the Park.

A few weeks ago, we enjoyed a presentation by the James River Association about Blue Catfish.

Blue Catfish are native to the Mississippi River and its watershed. They’re good to eat, and fun to fish. While they’re commonly known to hit 10 or 20 pounds, it’s not uncommon to find one over 100, so a freshwater trophy fish for certain.

Here’s where it gets tricky.

They’re also highly adaptable and can live in fresh water and brackish water. In the 1970’s, they were introduced into the James River by the (then) Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (now the Department of Wildlife Resources) to boost recreational fishing, and they took a liking to the tidal waters of the lower James and the fresher waters of the upper James.

And they love to eat. They will eat everything from aquatic grasses to adult Asian carp. They’re also fans of shellfish, and have wreaked havoc on the clams, mussels, and the Chesapeake’s famous Blue Crabs (no relation to the catfish).

What can you do?

If you’re an angler and you catch one, keep it. An adult female can spawn over 40,000 eggs at a time, so releasing one will potentially increase the population. While you should always check the advisories first, if you catch one, eat it! They’re very nutritious, and fantastic fried in a cornmeal batter – though using them for fish tacos is gaining momentum!

When horses were introduced to Iceland, the land and waters of the James River Park System were a pristine wilderness enjoyed by the Native American tribes that called it home.

We should do our part to be protective of it.