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通过我们的员工了解 WeedWise 计划！
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. 您最喜欢在 WeedWise 计划工作的哪一点？
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. 如果让您选择不同的职业，您会选择什么？
A2. A small scale farmer because we need more of them! And there’s nothing like growing your own food.
Q3. 您最喜欢克拉克马斯县的哪个地方？
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. 如果您能去世界上任何一个地方，您会去哪里？
A4. So many places! I’d love to travel through the Mediterranean and its sunny coastline or visit the rainforests of Central America.
Q5. 您认为对克拉克马斯县影响最大的入侵杂草是什么？
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. 您在 WeedWise 计划工作中遇到的最大挑战是什么？
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. 煎饼、华夫饼还是法式吐司？
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. 谁是你的英雄？
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. 您最喜欢哪种本地植物，为什么？
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. 如果您可以拥有任何特殊能力，您会是什么？
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. 业余时间您喜欢做哪些活动或爱好？
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. 未来一年，您最期待 WeedWise 的哪项活动或项目？
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. 您认为哪种入侵杂草最难管理？
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. 请说出一件大多数人不了解您的事情。
A19. Most people don’t know that I have a fraternal twin brother, named Corey. We were almost named “Gianna and Giovanni” Gattuso.
Q20. 您认为负责任的杂草管理最容易被忽视的方面是什么？
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!