Noxious Weeds
Ciudad SWCD is committed to efforts to remove noxious weeds wherever they are found within our District boundaries. The District has previously employed grant funds in projects to eradicate invasive Tamarisk, Russian Olive, Tree of Heaven and Siberian Elm infestations within the Rio Grande Valley State Park. Collaborators in these projects have included the Albuquerque Open Space Division, NM State Parks, NM State Forestry and others. Ongoing efforts continue at the Tijeras Creek Restoration Project to remove Siberian Elm, Cheatgrass, Tamarisk, and Russian Knapweed, which reduces seed sources for the Rio Grande.
The District has recently partnered with Albuquerque Herbalism and the Albuquerque Open Space Division to pursue grant funds for removal of Ravinia grass from sensitive ecological areas within the Rio Grande bosque.
Part of the control strategy for noxious weeds is to replace the invasive species with indigenous species, as part of an Integrated Resource Management strategy. (The District presented a series of public workshops about this topic during 2016.) The Institute for Applied Ecology in 2017 published their grades 9-12 educational curriculum From Ponderosa to Prickly Pear: Exploring the Native Plants of New Mexico, which provides engaging activities to teach about native and non-native plants in New Mexico.