Golden's Community Weed Program
It’s nearing the end of summer and invasive plants are forming tough little seeds so they can take over even more ground next year. While some weeds are merely nuisances, others are dangerous to have around—they threaten biodiversity, can be toxic to livestock and can choke out native plants. But how can you tell the difference? And what do you do about them so they don’t spread next year?
Those are questions that Wildsight can help you answer. In a new pilot program this summer, run in partnership with The Town of Golden, residents of Golden can call Glen Skawski at to arrange for a free invasive plant survey of their yard. Skawski will drop by at a convenient time and walk residents through their yard, identifying invasive plants and offering the best advice for getting rid of them. The Golden Community Weed Program is now running and will run until September 23, 2010.
“The community weed program will help local residents to identify, prevent, and remove invasive plant species from their yards,” said Rachel Darvill, Wildsight’s Upper Columbia Program Manager, who is in charge of the Columbia Headwaters Invasive Plant Species Project (CHIPSP). Skawski will be going door to door to help residents identify invasive plants on their property. He will recommend non-toxic treatments to remove the infestations. As well, Wildsight is pulling weeds within town boundaries, so if you see an invasive plant infestation, they would like to hear about it. Report the infestation at www.Wildsight.ca/InvasiveSpecies.
“We are incredibly pleased with the Town of Golden and their efforts to help reduce the spread of invasive plants within town boundaries,” Darvill said. “The Town provided all the funds for this new project, and they have been picking up all the bags full of invasive weeds that are removed through this program.”
