By Ric Balfour, Lower Gales Creek Project Manager

Workshop participants observe and learn about riparian functions.

Imagine being confronted with a table covered with 25 ziplocked mysterious weed specimens and surrounded by 25 curious landowners, waiting for their identification. No problem for Kyle Spinks, Tualatin River Watershed Council (TRWC) chair and leading weed expert, who deftly worked his way through the handpicked samples describing names, origins, degrees of danger and best control methods.

This was a scene from the Invasive Weed Workshop held at the Forest Grove Community Auditorium early this summer. After much preparation, planning and fine tuning the much-anticipated invasive weed workshop took place on Saturday June 10, with about 35 participants from around the region including Newberg, Portland and Yamhill.

The purpose of the workshop was to help landowners learn to identify invasive weeds, the impacts weeds have on the environment and productivity, and to the latest methods to control them. The workshop was sponsored by the Tualatin River Watershed Council, Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, OSU Extension Service, Clean Water Services, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Pacific Harvest, and the Northwest Weed Management Partnership.

A workshop participant examines a weed wrench used on Scotch broom.

During the three-hour classroom session, local experts gave presentations on weed biology, weed identification and weed control methods. A discussion panel was led by professionals actively involved in a variety of weed control methods. After a scrumptious lunch put on by local caterer Maggie’s Buns, the group carpooled off for a field trip to identify weeds at a riverside property on Gales Creek.

Thanks to Corrine Oishi and Lindley Morton, on whose property many of the invasive weed species could be examined and control methods demonstrated. A highlight of the afternoon was the grazing demo showing weed control using sheep and goats from “Noah’s Nibblers”, a Hillsboro-based company offering fee-based grazing services to landowners wanting non-chemical control options.

Extra time was spent on Knotweed which is a challenging problem along Gales Creek. At the site a Clean Water Services pilot knotweed injection project revealed how effective chemical controls can be, but not without follow-up treatment and monitoring. Participants also learned how to calibrate a backpack sprayer, try out a weed wrench to remove Scotch Broom, as well as share with and learn from OSU scientists and experts about the latest control methods.

Evaluations and comments from the group indicated this type of workshop helped attendees better understand the problems of invasive weeds and how to control them effectively. Attendees also appreciated being invited to bring samples of their “favorite” weeds to identify. They also indicated that they liked being able to take home useful information on weed identification, integrated control methods and sources for help. Given the workshop’s success, this may be become an annual event.