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Познайомтеся з програмою WeedWise через наших співробітників!
The success of the WeedWise program is in great part due to the hard work and dedication of our staff. If you have ever called the office or stopped by for assistance with your weed problems, you have undoubtedly worked with one of our hard-working employees. If you’ve ever wondered what our program is all about, we first recommend checking our ABOUT, our HISTORY and our STAFF pages to fill in many of the gaps. But we know you want more! So we are continuing our Staff Spotlight feature to give you the opportunity to get to know our staff better. So take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the people behind our program.
20 questions you’ve always wanted to ask WeedWise Specialist, Courtney Gattuso.
Q1. Що вам найбільше подобається в роботі в програмі WeedWise?
A1. I really enjoy working with our partners and landowners to see the larger network of weed management in our region. It’s amazing how many people are passionate about restoring habitats while working collaboratively to do so!
Courtney out controlling invasive knotweeds.
Q2. Якби вам довелося обирати іншу професію, якою б вона була?
A2. A small scale farmer because we need more of them! And there’s nothing like growing your own food.
Q3. Яке ваше улюблене місце в окрузі Клакамас?
A3. Camassia Nature Preserve is definitely one of my favorites because the wildflowers are stunning in the spring and it’s a little pocket of beauty in an unexpected area.
Q4. Якби ви могли відвідати будь-яке місце у світі, куди б ви поїхали?
A4. So many places! I’d love to travel through the Mediterranean and its sunny coastline or visit the rainforests of Central America.
Q5. Який інвазивний бур'ян, на вашу думку, має найбільший вплив на округ Клакамас?
A5. I think it’s a toss-up between Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) and English/Irish ivy (Hedera helix/H. hibernica). Both species are so widespread that eradication is nearly impossible, control costs are daunting, and they outcompete with native vegetation that further minimizes biodiversity.
Q6. What place has inspired you most?
A6. Alaska! I was blown away by the wildlife and breath-taking landscapes; it’s a nature enthusiast’s paradise.
Courtney giving a CWMA update at the Columbia Gorge CWMA’s 2019 Invasive Species and Exotic Pest Workshop
Q7. Що стало для вас найбільшим викликом під час роботи в програмі WeedWise?
A7. My previous positions have been very field-dominant, so it has been a significant transition to work more behind a computer. But I feel very fortunate to be a part of the WeedWise program and enjoy the flexibility of my current position.
Q8. Млинці, вафлі чи французькі тости?
A8. French toast with bananas and “real” maple syrup!
Q9. What is your favorite time of year and why?
A9. I love fall because I’ve never experienced true autumn colors while growing up in a desert for the majority of my life.
Q10. Хто ваш герой?
A10. My grandma. She was allergic to nearly everything, including sunlight, but despite her misfortunes, she still lived her life to the fullest, with the best attitude possible.
Q11. Яка ваша улюблена місцева рослина і чому?
A11. I really like chickweed monkeyflower (Erythranthe alsiniodes) because it often gets unnoticed for its itty-bitty size, but it thrives in mossy rock seepages near waterfalls, which is exactly where I would live if I was a plant.
Q12. Якби ви могли мати якусь особливу силу, якою б вона була?
A12. I would like to have the ability to snap my fingers to travel back in time before human civilization.
Q13. Why should folks care about invasive weeds?
A13. Despite our differences, we all reside on this planet and rely very heavily on its natural resources to sustain our lives. If invasive plants are left unmanaged, over time, we would be living in a world that lacks healthy ecosystems that produce the resources we need to survive.
Q14. Чим Ви любите займатися у вільний час?
Q14. I really enjoy cooking, gardening, camping, hiking, and cuddling with my pup, Juniper.
Courtney and Sara Ennis from the Sandy River Basin Council are busy planning this year’s Weed Smackdown.
Q15. Яка діяльність або проект WeedWise вас найбільше хвилює в наступному році?
A15. I’m really excited to get started on the Policeman’s helmet (Impatiens glandulifera) treatments because it’s been an ongoing project with the Sandy River Watershed Council and I value the collaborative approach we’ve adopted to manage this noxious weed.
Q16. If you were an inanimate object, what would you be?
A16. A vase, because I would be surrounded by pretty flowers all day!
Q17. З яким інвазивним бур'яном, на Вашу думку, найважче боротися?
A17. I would have to say Italian arum (Arum italicum) is the most difficult to control. It seems unaffected by most herbicides, causing little damage to the underground tubers, and manual control is tricky due to its ability to produce “daughter tubers” if a tuber breaks off, forming new plants the following year.
Q18. Name one of the coolest activities you’ve ever done.
A18. I swam with sharks in the coral reefs of the Caribbean, which was equally terrifying and amazing!
Q19. Назвіть одну річ, яку більшість людей не знає про вас.
A19. Most people don’t know that I have a fraternal twin brother, named Corey. We were almost named “Gianna and Giovanni” Gattuso.
Q20. Як ви вважаєте, який аспект відповідального управління бур'янами найчастіше ігнорується?
A20. I think prevention is the most essential, and often, overlooked the aspect of responsible weed management. Public education and outreach can go a long way to prevent the spread of invasive plants!