Invasive plants can have ill effects on our watersheds by choking out native species that stabilize hillsides, resulting in erosion. As mountain bikers, trail builders and stewards of the environment we can easily become part of the solution with three simple steps:
- Clean our bikes. A simple spray down of our bikes will remove any seeds that might be hiding in the dirt and prevent them from being transported to the next riding destination.
- Clean our tools. Brushing off dirt or mud from our trail tools before leaving the trail system keeps seeds contained in that area. Inexpensive wire brushes can be found at most hardware stores.
- Clean our boots. Spraying down or brushing off excess dirt from boots after trail work will minimize spread of invasive plants from one trail system to the next.
We can recreate responsibly by doing our part in keeping our waterways clean and healthy!
Partners that we worked with to make this all come together:
–East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District
This project was made possible by a generous grant from the Oregon Invasive Species Council.
