Recap: Buffelgrass Pull at Sweetwater Wetlands

On Sunday, February 24th we held our third Buffelgrass Pull in an attempt to remove the noxious weed Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) from the area around the Wetlands.

While our group was smaller than expected I couldn’t have asked for better, harder-working volunteers! In 2.5 hours we covered a lot of ground and filled 42 large bags full of that invasive nasty.

I know the infestation of Buffelgrass in the Sonoran Desert seems overwhelming but I take heart knowing that small groups of determined people can make a big difference. In two of the three areas where we’ve previously removed Buffelgrass we had zero regrowth and in the third, regrowth was minimal. Every clump of buffelgrass we yank and bag prevents thousands of potential seeds from spreading…

We’re hoping that our next Buffelgrass Pull will leave the Wetlands completely free of Buffelgrass!

A huge thank you to all our volunteers – we couldn’t do it without you! I want to also thank Tucson Clean and Beautiful for loaning us tools and gloves and supplying the bags, and Sprouts for donating the bottled water.