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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks



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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
PostWed May 03, 2017 12:32 pm 
One of the best things I've done to enhance my hiking experience was to attend a King County Weed Watcher training a few years ago. I go every year for a refresher course, and because it's fun. While it focuses on invasives, it also helped me learn what the native plants were so while I hike it's no longer a strip of undifferentiated green stuff along the trail. Please consider attending a training, and maybe even help out on one of the field trips. -- Puzzlr
King County Weed Watcher training
King County Weed Watcher training
King County Weed Watcher training
King County Weed Watcher training
-------------------------------- From Sasha Shaw, Noxious Weed Control Program: Greetings! We have classes in King County on June 3 in North Bend and June 23 in Seattle. We also have group hikes scheduled for June 11 on the Middle Fork Trail and June 14 on Twin Falls Trail. Anyone is welcome to attend a training or a group hike, no experience necessary, so bring your friends and family! It’s always satisfying to hike with a purpose. Sign up for a training class on our website. To sign up for a group hike or get more information, contact Sasha Shaw at sasha.shaw@kingcounty.gov. Read more about it on our Noxious Weeds blog. If you can’t attend a class but want to participate, let me know and I’ll fill you in on the year’s goals and priorities. Here are the details on the classes, or just follow the links above for more information: 2017 Training Schedule (same agenda at both sessions)
  • Saturday, June 3, 9 am - 3 pm, North Bend Ranger Station, Conference Hall (behind Ranger Station), 902 SE North Bend Way, North Bend 98045
  • Friday, June 23, 9 am - 3 pm, Center for Urban Horticulture, Douglas Research Conservatory, 3501 NE 41st St., Seattle 98105
Cost: Free How to sign up: Register online For more information, contact Sasha Shaw, sasha.shaw@kingcounty.gov. Thanks and happy hiking, Sasha

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lookout bob
WTA proponent.....



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lookout bob
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PostWed May 03, 2017 6:33 pm 
Thanks Sasha, for posting this! I signed up for the class on June 23. Appreciate you bringing it to my attention!! up.gif up.gif cool.gif cool.gif

"Altitude is its own reward" John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
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Kim Brown
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PostWed May 03, 2017 9:04 pm 
I did this 4-5 years ago, and again when puzzlr joined. I enjoyed the extensive, high quality training, and that first and 2nd year, Weed Watcher collaborated with USFS & Mountaineers (I helped a little to set up portions of their database for that year's project) to map invasives in wilderness, and trails leading into wilderness. It's an important program; be be-warned - once you learn about invasives, it will sorta ruin your life. Can't take a step outside without snarling. Matter of fact, I ripped a Japanese knotweed from my neighbors' yard after dark the other evening. I couldn't contain the impulse any longer; it was in my face every morning as I walked the driveway to my car. Totally illegal for me to do that; but dammit, it's Japanese knotweed. Was, I mean. So after this class and learning how to map invasives, you may be in danger of becoming a criminal.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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Joey
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Joey
verrry senior member
PostTue May 09, 2017 2:26 pm 
Yes, there is a map for that. The data is from 2016. (The "About" page says 2014.)
View larger size in new window

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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks



Joined: 13 Feb 2007
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
PostWed Apr 11, 2018 11:15 am 
It's mid-spring which means weed season is here again. Even if you learn just one or two plants it's a huge help to have hikers with the range of those on this site on the lookout. -------------- From Sasha Shaw ... 2018 Trail Weed Watcher Training Plant enthusiasts, hikers and others who want to help protect our natural areas are encouraged to join the effort to locate (and control) invasive species in the beautiful Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley and the Snoqualmie Pass Gateway trails of the South Fork Snoqualmie. Help survey the area's spectacular trail system for invasive weeds so we can stop them before they get entrenched. This class will teach you to identify the highest priority invasive plant species and give you the tools you need to start helping prevent these weeds from spreading into our wilderness areas. The training is a classroom-based workshop covering the program's goals and methods and focusing on learning to identify the priority invasive plants for the region, using a combination of slides and plant specimens. In addition, at the North Bend training there will be an outdoor activity to get further practice identifying plants and to get familiar with recording data on both the paper and online forms. For the Seattle training, we will schedule an optional weekend field day for plant ID and survey practice following the class. This is a joint training for King County's Trail Weed Watchers and the PNW‐IPC Citizen Science EDRR program. 2018 Training Schedule (same overall agenda at both sessions, but June 3 class will include an outdoor plant ID opportunity)
  • Seattle Training, May 7, 6:00-8:30 pm, Mountaineers, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle WA 98115
  • North Bend Training, June 3, 12:30-4:30 pm, Snoqualmie District Ranger Station, Conference Hall (behind Ranger Station), 902 SE North Bend Way, North Bend, WA 98045
Cost: Free How to sign up: Register online For more information, contact Sasha Shaw, sasha.shaw@kingcounty.gov

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Malachai Constant
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Malachai Constant
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PostWed Apr 11, 2018 2:36 pm 
All ivy must die hockeygrin.gif

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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lookout bob
WTA proponent.....



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lookout bob
WTA proponent.....
PostThu Apr 12, 2018 6:14 am 
Stinky Bob must die too! cool.gif

"Altitude is its own reward" John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
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HikerJohn
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PostWed May 09, 2018 7:12 am 
Boy, I'm with you on that! I'm constantly pulling that stuff when I see it along trails and hoping like heck that I'll get the last strand! BTW, if you don't know what "Stinky Bob" is, (and it's not Lookout Bob after a hike), here's a link: https://www.kingcounty.gov/services/environment/animals-and-plants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/herb-robert.aspx

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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks



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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
PostThu Jun 13, 2019 8:18 pm 
Another spring, another chance to attend a weed watchers workshop From Sasha Shaw .... The next two invasive plant workshops for EDRR volunteers are tomorrow in Auburn and next Saturday in Seattle. There are links in the email to sign up, or just show up! Auburn, WA Saturday, June 15th, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm Address: Green River College (PNW Conference Room), 12401 SE 320th St., Auburn, WA 98092 Hosted by: Jonathane Schmitt, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Forest Service RSVP at: https://www.pnw-ipc.org/events/auburn-invasive-plant-identification-training-1 Seattle, WA Saturday, June 22nd, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm Address: Center for Urban Horticulture, Douglas Classroom, 3501 41st Street, Seattle, WA 98195 Hosted by: Sasha Shaw, King Co. Noxious Weed Board RSVP at: https://www.pnw-ipc.org/events/seattle-invasive-plant-identification-training Sasha Shaw King County Noxious Weed Control Program Desk 206-477-4824; Cell 206-617-4538 sasha.shaw@kingcounty.gov / www.kingcounty.gov/weeds

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Malachai Constant
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PostThu Jun 13, 2019 8:29 pm 
Stinking geraniums are bush league compared to Himalayan Blackberry and English Ivy. I had a half acre monoculture in my a kid yard. All three are resistant to Roundup.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Ski
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PostThu Jun 13, 2019 11:34 pm 
^ suggest contacting your county weed control board (every county has one) and ask them for their recommendations for specific plants. suggest NOT buying "Round Up". try ACE Hardware's generic formula - 41% glyphosate solution. mix according to directions. last purchase (about a month or so back) I got three quarts for $41 + tax. no reason to pay more for the same product (glyphosate.) thank you very much, Kim, for attacking the Japanese Knotweed.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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Sculpin
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PostFri Jun 14, 2019 6:54 am 
Glyphosate is the only reasonable solution for most of the really pernicious invasives. There are no invasives in Washington State that are resistant to glyphosate in any sort of chemical sense. By that I mean that if the plant metabolizes the toxin, the plant will die. Some plants, such as ivy, are mechanically resistant. This occurs because the leaves are waxy and the toxin runs off. Herb Robert, aka Stinky Bob, and blackberry are not resistant in any way if the toxin is applied properly. Ivy can be killed with repeated sprayings just as the dew is drying in the morning on warm days. Whatever you do, keep it away from standing water. I pulled a lone foxglove off of a cliff just below Seattle Park in MRNP and carried it out. Technically I guess I am confessing to a crime, but I do know my plants. For the record, and FWIW, I do not endorse the use of glyphosate for any routine agricultural purpose.

Between every two pines is a doorway to the new world. - John Muir
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Malachai Constant
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PostFri Jun 14, 2019 7:58 am 
BTW our property is adjacent to a small stream that runs into Issaquah Creek and I removed all the English Ivy manually over a three month period. It has not come back with patrols to remove any volunteers.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Ski
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PostFri Jun 14, 2019 9:22 am 
Sculpin wrote:
I pulled a lone foxglove off of a cliff just below Seattle Park in MRNP and carried it out. Technically I guess I am confessing to a crime, but I do know my plants.
If you wrote a letter to the Superintendent and told him about it you'd probably get a thank you note. Just be sure to pull foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) with a gloved hand or wash your hands after hand-pulling. Recommend stuffing the pulled stalks (with rootwads intact) carefully into a large black plastic garbage bag. If you shake the plant it may dislodge and scatter any matured seeds onto the ground. The black plastic garbage bag (in the trunk of a car or in the back of a pickup) will concentrate the heat and help to kill the plant and (hopefully) the seeds as well.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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Ski
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PostFri Jun 14, 2019 10:15 am 
^ I wanted to make sure I was passing on accurate information so I asked for a second opinion. Here is the response (edited for brevity):
my favorite non-indigenous invasive weed guru wrote:
Wearing gloves is always a good idea when pulling weeds, but I don't believe that you can get foxglove poisoning from skin contact alone - you have to actually ingest the stuff (https://www.poison.org/articles/2015-mar/foxglove). Some people do get contact dermatitis from the irritating hairs on the plant but gloves and long sleeves will stop this. Putting the flowers in a plastic bag is a great suggestion; to save bulk and weight (but not time) I just bag the flowering stalks and leave the stems and roots behind, usually propping the stems on another plant so that the roots aren't in contact with the ground. Put the bags in the trash, not your compost or the municipal greenwaste bin. Even if 99.99 percent of the seeds are killed by heat, one survivor is too many. Herb Robert? Pull every one you can find, then come back every few weeks to pull the new batch of seedlings that have germinated. We have successfully eradicated large patches of herb Robert in the wilderness by hand pulling alone. I have noticed that the later-germinating plants (after June) don't usually end up flowering, but all the plants that germinate in late winter through early spring always flower. The seed bank seems to last for two or three years so the process, while seeming endless, is not hopeless. Blackberry...I didn't have tools so I hand-pulled hundreds of young evergreen blackberry plants out in 2017, but at the end of each day I looked as though I'd been in a wrestling match with an angry bobcat - bleeding from a thousand small cuts. Effective, but not recommended as a general technique. On plants that have been established for a while, cutting the canes multiple times over the year, then spraying the regrowth with glyphosate in the fall is most effective. Even just cutting the canes can help some - although you get a lot of re-sprouting, the first year canes don't bear fruit.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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