Please join members of the Jacksonville Woodlands Association for the annual Scotch Broom pull on Friday, February 11, at 10am. We’ve been doing this for about 15 years, and it’s now become a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s easy to pull plants we find because they’re small, but on the other, it’s getting harder and harder to find them. That’s not a bad thing!
Scotch Broom (one of four broom species found on the west coast) is an invasive weed, having originated in the UK. French, Spanish, and Portuguese brooms are the others. When we first started our control efforts, the broom plants were so thick behind the Britt Pavilion that a person 15 feet off the trail couldn’t be seen! It’s vitally important that we continue our efforts as one neglected plant allowed to produce seed, could set us back years!
We’ll start at 10am from the upper parking lot behind the Britt Pavilion (not the upper lot across from Mary Ann Drive) and wander around looking for broom plants until high noon. Rain will not stop us. Hey…it’s Oregon! Wear suitable clothing for the day, and bring gloves. Those gloves with the silicone-type palms really grab those little plants well.
Before we start, we’ll go over a bit of history, as well as plant identification. It’s always been a fun way to spend two hours, and saving our woodlands from such a destructive plant couldn’t be a more noble cause. See you then.
Bob Budesa, Jacksonville Woodlands Association
Bob Budesa moved to Jacksonville 20 years ago, retired from BLM after 38 years where he oversaw the noxious weed program with Medford District BLM (850,000 acres) for 20 years, worked in Wild Horse Program in 1970’s and was a member of JWA for 2 years.