Weed Education Field Day

Published: 2022
By Jackie Pondolfino

Weed Management is at the front of the mind for many residents in Park County. Whether the goal is to preserve the beauty of our native landscape or increase agricultural land productivity, most can agree that managing noxious weeds is essential to the health of our ecosystem. When constituents' experiences, education levels, and aspirations are wide and varied, it requires a collaborative effort across organizations to meet interested parties where they are. On a beautiful September morning, MSU Extension, Park County Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA), Shields Valley Watershed Group (SVWG), Park County Conservation District, Park County Environmental Council (PCEC), and the MT Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) facilitated an invasive weed education field day at Ed Schillings’ Ranch in Clyde Park. This collaborative effort brought together quality speakers and 24 landowners. Twenty participants were awarded two credits each toward their pesticide applicator licenses. Activities included demonstrations for Early Detection and Distribution (EDD) maps on smartphones and tablets, paper mapping tactics, weed monitoring using transects, and backpack sprayer calibration. Presentations and discussions followed about biocontrol, grazing, and integrated weed management. The event concluded with a barbecue where additional resources were shared. A similar event was held in the spring in Paradise Valley. MSU Extension will continue offering weed field days in the spring and fall to reach all of Park County’s landowners.