By Fischer Genau DIGITAL MEDIA LEAD
Noxious weeds like spotted knapweed, Canada thistle, and leafy spurge are persistent, pernicious plants that threaten biodiversity and can irreversibly transform and overwhelm natural landscapes. But in Big Sky resident Mel Crichton, they’ve met their match.
“Basically, I’ve been Canada thistle’s mortal enemy now for 13 years,” Crichton told EBS.
Gallatin County awarded Crichton its second-ever Outstanding Noxious Weed Management Award on Aug. 14 for his work combating noxious weewds in his yard, neighborhood and the surrounding community.
When Crichton and his wife moved to Big Sky’s Meadow Village 13 years ago, he noticed seeds of Canada thistle, a particularly hardy invasive plant species, blowing onto his lot and causing the weed to spring up there. Soon after, he met Jennifer Mohler, executive director of nonprofit Grow Wild, at a farmers market, and she gave him a book of invasive plants and tips on taking care of them. Ever since, he’s been waging a war on weeds.
“I’m retired so I’ve got time, and instead of playing golf, I go out and execute weeds,” Crichton said. “It’s something that I figure I’m giving something back to the community—it’s not a whole lot, but I hope by setting an example, other people do the same.”
Noxious weeds are a problem in Big Sky. They typically take root at newly built homes or vacant lots and spread into surrounding natural areas, where they push out critical native vegetation that wildlife need, affect water quality and quantity, and can exacerbate fire danger. They can depreciate the value of landowners’ property too.
“Weeds are ecological tumors in the landscape,” Mohler said. “Once it starts on your property and creeps out to open space or Forest Service public lands, it has tremendous detrimental effects.”
When Crichton eradicated that first infestation of Canada thistle in his yard, he didn’t stop there. Next he tackled the neighboring lot, then started making sorties onto the nearby golf course, dispatching weeds with his trusty sprayer, herbicide and shovel. Before long he was drawing his neighbors’ attention to the issue of noxious weeds.
The first thing he counsels people do is learn to identify them. Crichton uses a plant identification app on his phone, then determines how best to control them. Small infestations of taproot plants like houndstongue or oxeye daisy can be managed by handpulling, but others with extensive root systems like the Canada thistle require a more integrated approach. Crichton learned many of these techniques from Mohler, who nominated him for the noxious weed management award.
“He’s just a genuine human being who just does the work, doesn’t look for recognition, gives back to his community, and makes a difference,” Mohler said. “He really does make a difference. He’s my greatest success story, and he’s a total inspiration for me, because when things get rough here, I just go, look what Mel has done. He just keeps me going.”
Mohler hopes that others will be like Crichton and start making a difference in their communities. There are many vacant lots and people who only stay on their property half the year in Big Sky, and these places can become breeding grounds for invasive plant species.
“Noxious weeds don’t respect property lines, so what happens on your property can soon affect your neighbor,” Mohler said. “People think, ‘Oh, I’m just going to let it grow wild and it will be fine,’ but that’s not the case. Good stewardship is about ongoing, regular management, and we’re here to help.”
Mohler encourages people to contact Grow Wild for help managing noxious weeds on their property. They offer free site visits to identify weeds and provide counsel, and they offer a variety of resources for people who want to act.
“You have to take responsibility for your land, but also step up and be part of the solution and the bigger picture,” Mohler said. “If we all just do a little bit, we can really conserve the places we love. Mel is a shining example of that.”
Crichton’s labors have had a tangible impact. After almost a decade living in the meadow, where he pretty much wiped out all the weeds he could find, Crichton moved to Aspen Groves and resumed his offensive. He and his neighbor bought the vacant lot between them that was choked with weeds, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
“When I first moved here five years ago that lot was full of Canada thistle, dandelions, and oxeye daisies. Now they’re gone, and I think I counted 40 different varieties of wildflowers coming up in those spaces.”
Mel doesn’t want to be singled out for his work, but he does hope more people take matters into their own hands, as he did.
“It’s important that people understand the need for just regular people to get involved. I’m just a regular person here, and fortunately I’m retired so I’ve got some more time for that,” Crichton said. “If everybody would just take care of their own property, we wouldn’t need weed warriors. We’d all be weed warriors.”
The Gallatin County Weed District is currently accepting nominations for next year’s award.
