Hikers to be asked to help monitor invasive weeds

Wanted: Hikers to help find invasive plants and to help get rid of them. Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest is working with other groups to train volunteers to monitor trails for Japanese knotweed (which could choke vegetation along creeks), oxeye daisy (which could take over alpine meadows) and ‘English ivy’ (which could could cover forest canopies). Classes will teach so-called Weed Watchers how to identify invasive species, record and collect data with GPS units, and control some weeds. The volunteers will choose which trails they want to ‘adopt’ this summer. What do you think of this idea, and could we adopt it in the UK? If you’d like to know more about identifying invasive weeds, including Japanese knotweed, and get CPD points in the process, contact PLR Ltd about the training courses we offer.