To the untrained eye, they’re practically invisible, just a few leafy plants among many blending into the lush greenery the Pacific Northwest is famous for.
Those who know how to spot them find these noxious weeds practically everywhere, but, aside from grumbling at the sight, there was little they could do about them — until now.
Eradication Nation — a Clark Public Utilities program focused on controlling and removing non-native/invasive plants from Clark County — has launched Weed Watchers, an initiative to empower people to find noxious weeds and notify experts who can remove them.
Weed Watchers is ideal for anyone with a smartphone and an interest in protecting local habitat for bees, birds, salmon and everything in between.
“The beauty of Weed Watchers is that it’s very easy to participate. Folks are already out there, going on hikes or walking around the neighborhood, we’re just asking them to mark where the weeds are growing so the professionals can go remove them,” said Brad Mead, Eradication Nation Invasive Species Coordinator.
Because they don’t have any natural predators and thrive in our climate, one seed can start a monoculture that drives out native plants in a short period of time. Weeds are subtle and that’s what makes them so dangerous. The spread often goes unnoticed, until the weed has taken a firm hold over an area and driven out the competition.
“Across the country, noxious weeds cause billions of dollars in losses on agricultural lands, severely disrupt ecosystems and are a main driver pushing endangered species to extinction,” Mead said. “That’s because invasive plants provide far fewer benefits to wildlife and people as compared to native plants. When they dominate a landscape local animals and pollinators can’t use them for food or shelter.”
There are more than 100 species on the Clark County noxious weed list, but Eradication Nation is particularly concerned with four that are trying to establish themselves locally.
Japanese Knotweed exudes chemicals that kill neighboring plants, causes stream bank erosions and can regrow from a fingernail-size piece of plant material. It’s been known to break through asphalt and crumble concrete.
Giant hogweed grows to massive proportions. Its sap reacts with sunlight and causes terrible burns when exposed to human skin.
False brome is bright lime-green grass that completely dominates forest understories if left untouched. It forces out other plants and crushes the food web many local animals and insects depend on.
The team from Eradication Nation is partnering with the Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council to train Weed Watchers volunteers to identify a few specific invasive species that aren’t yet established in Clark County and could be eradicated, if enough pressure is put on them soon. This process is called early detection, rapid response and is highly effective when timed right.
In addition to other tools, Weed Watchers volunteers will be trained to use EDDMapS, a nationally recognized tool created by scientists at the University of Georgia to find, map and track invasive species. Short for Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System, EDDMapS works on both Apple and Android smartphones and tablets.
EDDMapS is free and available for anyone to use. You don’t have to join Weed Watchers to get started.
To join Weed Watchers, make space on your calendar on Thursday, June 17 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for a quick virtual training. Then send an email to eradication@clarkpud.com with the subject line “Weed Watchers Sign Up” and include your name, contact information and preferred method of contact. We’ll get back to you with the meeting details. Can’t make it? No problem. We’ll record it for you to watch later.
If you’d like to get started right away, Washington State University is hosting a training over Zoom on Monday, June 14 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. To register, visit bit.ly/3csugzI.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
