by Kathy Whitlow, Operations Manager
Thank you to our many wonderful volunteers who came out to our June 20th and 23rd Weed Pull events and to those of you who came out to the Weed Walk on June 30th to learn more about thistles and other plant species that are threatening our Truckee River Watershed. If you missed these events or would like to join us again, the Truckee River Watershed Council’s Weed Warriors will be leading an additional weed pull and weed walk over the next few weeks. Click on the links below for details:
- July 14th Weed Pull – The Weed Pull, co-led by Jeannette Halderman and botanist Susan Urie of the U.S. Forest Service, will be near Boca Hill on July 14th. The Weed Pull will remove weeds, as well as, help reduce infestations in the Tahoe National Forest. Just two hours of your time can make a HUGE difference!
- August 11th Weed Walk – The Weed Walk, co-led by Jeannette Halderman, Program Manager for the Truckee River Watershed Council and Kathy Welch, botanist, will be in a location where infestations have been confirmed in order to learn which plants are invasive to the Truckee River.
The Weed Warriors are hoping to bring awareness to the public about invasive weeds in our area and the proper ways to dispose of them.
Invasive weeds are aggressive plants that have been introduced into an area outside of their native range and are dangerous because they out-compete native and other desirable plants. As a result, they reduce land and recreational values, damage water quality, contribute to soil erosion, degrade plant and animal habitat and increase the risk of wild-land fire.
Early detection and rapid response is crucial when it comes to the invasive weeds found in the Truckee meadows. “Many of these plants have very adaptable genes which means that they appear to be spreading slowly at first,” said Susan Urie, Botanist, “but once they adjust to the new environment they can spread rapidly.”
The weed warrior program’s goal is to educate the public on how to find, report and properly dispose of invasive weeds. There are two ways to report potential weeds. The first is on the Report-a-Weed page on the TRWC website. The second way is to report on the go. IPhone and Droid users can download the “What’s Invasive” app. When the reports are received volunteers will be sent to the location to verify the weed and log it in the database, once verified the appropriate agency will be notified to have the infestation taken care of.
Volunteers are needed! If you would like to attend a weed walk or weed pull or get more information, please contact the Truckee River Watershed Council via our website or email/call Jeannette Halderman, Program Manager of Weed Warriors at the Truckee River Watershed Council, at (530) 550-8760 ext. 6.
Weed Walks are supported by the National Forest Foundation.
Founded by Congress in 1991, the National Forest Foundation works to conserve, restore and enhance America’s 193-million-acre National Forest System. Through community-based strategies and public-private partnerships, the NFF helps enhance wildlife habitat, revitalizes wildfire-damaged landscapes, restores watersheds, and improves recreational resources for the benefit of all Americans.