The Whitehall Project of the Jefferson County Weed District hit the ground running this spring. Last month we hired an AmeriCorps conservation intern, Ava Balough from Northern Virginia, a college senior studying conservation biology who will work with our crew until mid-August.
We plan to introduce our three seasonal high school student workers in a future article, once they start work for us later this month. Todd Breitenfeldt, retired Whitehall High School science teacher, has been the Whitehall Project Coordinator since 1993 and continues today. County Weed Coordinator Jill Allen and the County Weed Board oversees all of the county’s noxious weed control activities.
A weed is any plant that grows where you don’t want it to, with the dandelion being the most common example. However, the dandelion’s edible leaves are used by some as salad greens and the flowers can be used to make dandelion wine. In Montana, a state-designated noxious weed causes environmental and/or economic damage. Montana has designated 36 plants as noxious weeds, and some counties listed more weeds on their noxious weed list. By law, in Montana you must manage noxious weeds if you have any on your property.
