Summer is a wonderful time to relax on a lake or take a hike in the mountains. Now you can enjoy the outdoors and help protect nature at the same time by watching for and reporting invasive species. King County has training classes for both Lake Weed Watchers and Trail Weed Watchers in June. The classes are free and open to everyone and there’s no obligation to volunteer. The more eyes looking for invasive plants, the better chance we have of stopping them!

The Lake Weed Watcher training is co-sponsored by the City of Maple Valley. It is on June 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Lake Wilderness Lodge, 22500 SE 248th Street, Maple Valley WA 98038. Register for the Lake Weed Watcher class online or contact Ben Peterson for more information.

The Trail Weed Watcher trainings are being offered through a partnership with the Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council (PNW-IPC) Citizen Science EDRR Invasive Plant Program. There are three training classes in King County this year: June 9 in North Bend, June 15 in Auburn, and June 22 in Seattle. Details and registration information are on the PNW-IPC Events Page.

If you already know how to identify invasive plants, or don’t have time to take a class, you can still participate. Contact Sasha Shaw for information on which lakes need surveys or to be notified about trail weed watcher events in King County this summer.

You can also head out on your own and report what you find with handy mobile apps.
- In King County: King County Connect
- In Washington: WA Invasives
- Anywhere in the Pacific Northwest: EDDMapsWest
Thanks for helping us help nature!