In the vast sea of blogs that are published just about every minute, every blogger works for the title that grabs.  Hope this one did because learning about this “weed” really matters.  It’s an invasive species – which is just as bad as it sounds. It spreads quickly. It’s highly flammable (translation: HUGE fire risk.)  And it  requires LOTS of teamwork for removal.

So what the heck is IT?  It’s buffelgrass.   Yes,  that’s the correct spelling and it’s wreaking havoc on our beautiful Sonoran desert and they very neighborhoods in which we live.  Simply put, it’s awful and downright scary.   Buffelgrass  destroys/displaces  desert vegetation and when it burns, it not only kills our native plants, but threatens houses and public safety.  Mow it down you might think? Buffelgrass cannot be mowed down.  Removing it takes blood, sweat and probably tears at times. It has to be pulled out, roots and all, to prevent spreading the seeds and furthering the problem.

As a community, doesn’t this sounds like something we want to deal with sooner rather than later?  Hopefully, we all want and need to rally as a community to BEAT BACK BUFFELGRASS.  And so we can.   Beat Back Buffelgrass Day is coming  up this  Saturday, Jan. 25. It is a day where you can help our region deal with this issue. You can be the change you really want to be as a good steward of our community.  It’s easy to register  at www.buffelgrass.org  to participate in this community event.  We not only hope you will but consider inviting family members, friends, co-workers because we need to fight buffelgrass as a community.

When you go to register, you will see that this event,  sponsored annually by the Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center, does lots of preparation to make it easy for you to participate.  They  focus on key removal areas, engage the region, and  help raise awareness to maximize community participation. This year, 15 different sites have been selected and are being supplied with instruction, tools, snacks, and lots of fun fellow volunteers. On the website, you can locate a removal site close to you, learn details about difficulty level, time, directions, what to bring, etc, and then sign up through an easy on-line form.  (Yes, snacks are included!)

In addition to successfully removing buffelgrass at the sites, SABCC uses participation numbers to demonstrate community concern and activism when pursuing grants and other funding opportunities. Another great reason for you to participate indeed.

I hope this info gets you excited enough to be one of the 500+ people who really make a difference fighting buffelgrass because your help is needed.  Can’t make it this time but want to help?  Spread the word to others who might be able to help and consider  helping  by providing financial support. To learn more about making a donation, visit www.buffelgrass.org.

It takes a village to protect our community from buffelgrass and we hope you can help.