Garfield County is holding a photo contest for its 2020 calendar. The theme? Noxious weeds.
Take the purple loosestrife. Its bright flowers might make a great shot in any calendar. But Sarah LaRose, Garfield County’s Vegetation Program Coordinator, says, don’t let noxious weeds like the purple loosestrife fool you with their good looks.
"They’re often very invasive. They outcompete native species. They degrade wildlife habitat, a lot of them are poisonous, they can increase fire risk and reduce water availability," she said.
Many noxious weeds are pretty; they were originally brought to Colorado as ornamental plants, before they grew out of control.
Garfield County’s new photo contest and calendar aim to raise awareness about what noxious weeds look like and what landowners can do to get rid of them.
LaRose says it’s meant to educate people in a fun way.
"By using the images and explaining them a little in the calendar, it can really foster awareness as to what these weeds really are and why they’re a problem," she said.
The deadline to submit photos for the contest is July 15.
