Group explores area's natural history

Propagating non-native spotted knapweed is illegal in Montana, but West Valley School’s root weevil insectary is an exception in fighting the spread of the noxious weed.

The insectary was the site of the first West Valley Naturalists meeting.

West Valley Naturalists founders Linda de Kort and Jeanine Buettner hope to foster interest in the natural history of West Valley through geology, archeology, natural resources, plants, animals and nature-related art topics.

“It’s just an opportunity for the community to come together and learn about the natural history of the area,” de Kort said.

De Kort wanted to replicate the community togetherness the school’s 50th anniversary celebration brought in May.

“It was wonderful. [The celebration] brought the community together. It was such a good feeling because historically, that’s what schools are in rural Montana — they’re the center of the community,” de Kort said.

During the meeting, group members were joined by several West Valley students who gave a presentation on the insectary and a native garden project that began in May.

Tris Hoffman, who has children attending the district, helps oversee the insectary and spotted knapweed garden. Hoffman is the weed coordinator for the Flathead National Forest.

“We planted the knapweed last summer and then last fall we released about 1,000 root-feeding weevils,” Hoffman said.

The root-feeding weevils do not fly and feed only on spotted knapweed.

“The larvae hatch and burrow down in the root. These plants look really thick and lush, but actually if you walk through they’ll snap them, they are week,” Hoffman said, easily breaking a stalk of spotted knapweed in half.

Hoffman said the first year didn’t yield as many weevils as hoped because of cooler weather and gophers, which eat the insects. Once the population rebuilds, Hoffman said, the weevils can be distributed on forested lands where spraying pesticides is not possible or economical.

“If you collect about 100 of them you can take them to another site that has knapweed, so we can either distribute them to landowners in the valley or we can distribute them along Forest Service lands like up and down the river corridors or places where we don’t want to or can’t spray,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said distributing the weevils wouldn’t necessarily eliminate the noxious weed but could greatly reduce it.

“The guy who started this [school root weevil insectary], Todd Breitenfeldt, has his Ph.D. in entomology and teaches in Whitehall at the school. He’s gotten to the point now where he can’t find any knapweed to get in his garden,” Hoffman said.

During the meeting, West Valley alumni Lydia Pavliuk and Meghan Levanen talked about  their award-winning science project on noxious weeds research from eighth grade. Now freshman at Glacier High School, both said they become interested in doing a project on weeds when the insectary was planted and installed.  

With a well-attended first meeting of the West Valley Naturalists, de Kort hopes to continue the momentum.

“We’ll see what the reception is and if there continues to be this response, we’ll find more programs,” de Kort said.  “We have a lot of diverse groups in the West Valley area. What draws us together is the love of this place.”

De Kort said there are a variety of topics the group hopes to plan for future meetings, such as West Valley’s early settlers, bear activity, bird-watching hot spots and healthy forest practices.

“A lot of landowners in West Valley have forests on their land,” de Kort said.

The West Valley Naturalists meet at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month through the school year in West Valley School library. The tentative topic of November’s meeting will be cougars.

“A lot of people are finding cougar scat and cougar kills,” de Kort said.

Experts or professionals who would like to share their expertise at a future meeting, or for more information about West Valley Naturalists, should call 755-3704 or 755-4733.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.

Propagating non-native spotted knapweed is illegal in Montana, but West Valley School’s root weevil insectary is an exception in fighting the spread of the noxious weed.

The insectary was the site of the first West Valley Naturalists meeting.

West Valley Naturalists founders Linda de Kort and Jeanine Buettner hope to foster interest in the natural history of West Valley through geology, archeology, natural resources, plants, animals and nature-related art topics.

“It’s just an opportunity for the community to come together and learn about the natural history of the area,” de Kort said.

De Kort wanted to replicate the community togetherness the school’s 50th anniversary celebration brought in May.

“It was wonderful. [The celebration] brought the community together. It was such a good feeling because historically, that’s what schools are in rural Montana — they’re the center of the community,” de Kort said.

During the meeting, group members were joined by several West Valley students who gave a presentation on the insectary and a native garden project that began in May.

Tris Hoffman, who has children attending the district, helps oversee the insectary and spotted knapweed garden. Hoffman is the weed coordinator for the Flathead National Forest.

“We planted the knapweed last summer and then last fall we released about 1,000 root-feeding weevils,” Hoffman said.

The root-feeding weevils do not fly and feed only on spotted knapweed.

“The larvae hatch and burrow down in the root. These plants look really thick and lush, but actually if you walk through they’ll snap them, they are week,” Hoffman said, easily breaking a stalk of spotted knapweed in half.

Hoffman said the first year didn’t yield as many weevils as hoped because of cooler weather and gophers, which eat the insects. Once the population rebuilds, Hoffman said, the weevils can be distributed on forested lands where spraying pesticides is not possible or economical.

“If you collect about 100 of them you can take them to another site that has knapweed, so we can either distribute them to landowners in the valley or we can distribute them along Forest Service lands like up and down the river corridors or places where we don’t want to or can’t spray,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said distributing the weevils wouldn’t necessarily eliminate the noxious weed but could greatly reduce it.

“The guy who started this [school root weevil insectary], Todd Breitenfeldt, has his Ph.D. in entomology and teaches in Whitehall at the school. He’s gotten to the point now where he can’t find any knapweed to get in his garden,” Hoffman said.

During the meeting, West Valley alumni Lydia Pavliuk and Meghan Levanen talked about  their award-winning science project on noxious weeds research from eighth grade. Now freshman at Glacier High School, both said they become interested in doing a project on weeds when the insectary was planted and installed.  

With a well-attended first meeting of the West Valley Naturalists, de Kort hopes to continue the momentum.

“We’ll see what the reception is and if there continues to be this response, we’ll find more programs,” de Kort said.  “We have a lot of diverse groups in the West Valley area. What draws us together is the love of this place.”

De Kort said there are a variety of topics the group hopes to plan for future meetings, such as West Valley’s early settlers, bear activity, bird-watching hot spots and healthy forest practices.

“A lot of landowners in West Valley have forests on their land,” de Kort said.

The West Valley Naturalists meet at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month through the school year in West Valley School library. The tentative topic of November’s meeting will be cougars.

“A lot of people are finding cougar scat and cougar kills,” de Kort said.

Experts or professionals who would like to share their expertise at a future meeting, or for more information about West Valley Naturalists, should call 755-3704 or 755-4733.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.