Volunteer weed force sweeps valley looking for harmful nonnative plants

Invasive plants of Benton County, watch out: The Weed Spotters know what you look like, and they're coming for you.

Weed Spotters, a program of the Benton County Soil & Water District, trains volunteers to distinguish the bad plants - like spurge laurel and scotch broom - from the good.

"Basically, the point of the program is to get information to landowners so they know what to look for and know what to do," said education coordinator Heath Keirstead, who has trained more than 30 volunteers to recognize invasive species found in Benton County.

The volunteers canvass property and map where they find invasive weeds. They give that information, along with advice and resources on how to get rid of the weeds, to the landowners.

On Saturday, 14 volunteers and about nine landowners turned out to canvass the common green area of the Greenbriar Homeowners Association in north Corvallis.

"Just because the land is green, doesn't mean it's healthy," said Oktar Khudayar, a senior in natural resources at Oregon State University. Khudayar completed the six-week Weed Spotter training this spring and was keen to get out in the field.

The Weed Spotters program, which is in its first year, was made possible by a $10,000 "Together Green" grant from Audubon and Toyota. Keirstead said they have done about six inventories so far this year; she hopes to complete 100 by the end of August.

It's already paying off: A spotter recently discovered garlic mustard growing in south Corvallis, the first time the weed had been found in Benton County.

Jiop King, who lives nearby but not in the Greenbriar boundary, came to Saturday's event to arm herself with knowledge.

"We would like to learn what species are invasive so we could apply that to the north side of the neighborhood, also," she said.

The propagation of information - that's one thing the Weed Spotters hope will spread faster than the invasive plants they're trying to fight.

For more information about Weed Spotters, or to have your property inventoried, call Keirstead or Taylor Bortz at 753-7208, or visit www.bentonswcd.org.