Knapweeds roped in at Rodeo
July 21 marked the 25th annual Knapweed Rodeo, where volunteers once again gathered in Waterton Lakes National Park to help contain the spread of the non-native knapweed. This family-friendly volunteer event saw 26 volunteers of all ages working with Parks Canada experts to do their part to combat knapweed.
This year’s event was another resounding success. The coveted Heavy Hitter award, awarded to the volunteer who pulls the most knapweed, was won by Kathy, who dug up an astounding 21 kilograms throughout the day. Further fun prizes were given away for the volunteers who pulled the longest root, tallest plant, and shortest plant. A barbecue was also provided for all the volunteers, who worked up an appetite pulling a total of 38 garbage bags full of knapweed. This is up from 33 bags in 2017. This year’s event marked 25 years of the Knapweed Rodeo, and Parks Canada celebrated in kind by providing volunteers with a special 25th anniversary cake to thank them for their time. In addition, several local businesses contributed prizes, including a $100 gift certificate from Lakeside Chophouse, a one-hour horseback ride from Alpine Stables, two sets of movie tickets from Waterton Opera House, and coupons for five cones from Big Scoop Ice Cream Parlour. Parks Canada would like to thank all these local businesses for their support.
Want to get involved? Information on upcoming volunteer opportunities can be found at www.pc.gc.ca/ waterton-volunteer .