The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) is hosting a hands-on workshop to assist area landowners in tackling invasive plant problems.
Landowners, farmers, ranchers and others interested in controlling invasive plants can take advantage of the free, Weed and the Works Workshop to learn how much and when to apply herbicide, safe handling methods, which products to use for your purposes and spray equipment calibration.
The event will take place in Williams Lake on May 3 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Pioneer Complex at 351 Hodgson Rd., as part of the CRD's Invasive Plant Management program.
CRD chair Al Richmond notes that while the regional district loans equipment and distributes herbicides, most landowners realize they will be applying it themselves on their own property, so it is beneficial to have proper training.
"We loan them backpacks and sprayers and things like that and then we train them how to use them all."
Many of the ranchers have the equipment of their own, he notes, so they are encouraged to bring it along and have it calibrated as part of the training.
A tractor boom sprayer will be on site to demonstrate calibration methods for larger applications.
Other aspects covered in the workshop include herbicide product information, aerial applications, demonstrations including ATV- and truck-mounted sprayers, and why calibration is important.
To register or for more details, call 1-800-665-1636 or e-mail invasiveplants@cariboord.bc.ca., by April 30.
If enough interest is generated, Richmond says a workshop may possibly be run in 100 Mile House at a later date.