Soon Scotch broom season will be in full bloom. You’ll know it’s here when you start seeing yellow … everywhere!
You can help prevent this and other invasive plants from taking over your garden or landscaping by planting a blend of beneficial flowers to attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
Bee-U-Tify seed packets were developed by the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board that counts farmers, ecologists and a beekeeper as members. The local county noxious weed control board has purchased these seed packets and made them available for free several nearby locations.
Last year, the Clallam Weed Board distributed over 1,600 packets locally and hopes to do more. You’ll find lupine, coreopsis, echinacea, cosmos, sunflower, clover, sage, bee balm … and 10 more good-for-the-environment seeds in your packet.
By planting Bee-U-Tify seeds in your yard and controlling noxious weeds on your property, you’re doing your part to protect ecosystems and agriculture while preserving and creating quality forage for pollinators.
There are plenty of opportunities to pick up your Bee-U-Tify seed packets — while supplies last:
• Call the Clallam County Weed Control Board at 417-2442
• Or visit the following links:
Link to state website: www.nwcb.wa.gov/nwcb_beeinformation.html
Link to Clallam County Weed Board website: www.clallam.net/weed
• Pick up at the following locations:
Sequim City Hall, 152 W. Cedar St.; WSU Extension, Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles; Clallam Conservation District, 228 W. First St., Port Angeles; and at KSQM, 577 W. Washington St., Sequim. If supplies last, packets will be available at the Weed Control booth at the Clallam County Fair.
Learn more
Want to learn more about noxious weeds? Here’s your chance: An upcoming learning opportunity — Citizen Science EDRR Training — from 1-3 p.m. Thursday, April 7, at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St., is a program put on by the Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council, hosted by Olympic National Park and Clallam County Noxious Weed Control Board.
The mission of this program is to train citizens to identify a suite of invasive plants in a 2.5-hour free training. You will learn how to identify priority invasive species, how to record basic data and how to report findings on EDDMapSWest, a national early detection reporting system.
Register at www.pnw-ipc.org/calendar.shtml.
At the Gazette, too
Pick up a packet of Bee-U-Tify seeds and a weed field guide at the front counter of the Sequim Gazette, 147 W. Washington St.
