Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Keith McCord Reporting It's mid-summer and all those vegetables that you planted and all the flower pots you filled with pansies and petunias are no doubt looking good about now. And most likely, you have some thriving weeds too! Weeds are a constant battle, and not just at your house. They also cause problems in the mountains.
With shovels, hoes, and mostly by hand, the weed battle is on! Last summer, the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, seeing a bad problem getting worse, started organizing group "weed pulls".
Patrick Nelson, Exec. Dir. Cottonwood Canyons Foundation: "We're pulling hounds tongue today. It's really nasty. Actually, it's quite beautiful. It just tends to take over the area."
Weeds choke out the native plants, decrease forage for wildlife and increase soil erosion. Last summer, volunteers identified and mapped various problem areas in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. Now, groups of volunteers are yanking them out by the bag full.
The group, representing various government agencies, constantly battle invasive species of plants. They worked at the Spruces Campground in Big Cottonwood earlier this week.
Carol Majeski, USFS-Salt Lake Ranger Dist.: "There are a lot of meetings about it and a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into it, but it definitely gives you an appreciation for the problem when you actually get out and try to dig them up."
Over the years, those who know their weeds have learned that undesirable species tend to move with people. Seeds stick to our hiking boots and clothing, and when we visit a campground, seeds drop and new weeds grow.
Throughout the summer, volunteers are needed to help get rid of things called Leafy Spurge, Donkey Tail, Dyer's Woad, Dalmatian Toadflax and Knapweed, to name a few.
Patrick Nelson, Exec. Dir. Cottonwood Canyons Foundation: "So we definitely need groups to call us and sign up. We have some group pull days where anybody can just show up scheduled throughout the month. And those are on our website."
Carol Majeski, USFS-Salt Lake Ranger District: "And that's what it's going to take, help from volunteers. We all bring them in, we need help removing them. It's great exercise, great place to be."
Besides the Cottonwood Canyons, volunteers are already mapping out areas in Millcreek Canyon for weed pulls next year. These weed pulls are scheduled periodically throughout the summer... and primarily in developed areas--campgrounds, picnic areas and trailheads.
