We welcome opportunities to work together! Here are some examples of educational opportunities that Platte County Weed and Pest have participated in this year! Please let us know if you have an event/meeting you’d like us to attend or if you would like to partner with us!
West Elementary Science Day – May 18th, 2022
Sponsored by Platte County School District #1 West Elementary
Science Day involved 3rd, 4th and 5th graders; the students were able to choose the presentations from several presenters.
Most presenters were inside in the classrooms, some were set up outside.
Introduction of myself (Missy Bookout) as a seasonal employee and Pat as Platte County Weed and Pest Supervisor and what we do.
Topics: What makes the plant a weed – A weed is a plant the is growing in an area where you don’t want it to grow. What makes it a noxious weed –detrimental (dangerous) to our ecosystems, humans, livestock, and wildlife. Pests – we treat these pests because they are damaging to crops and/or grazing pastures.
Jeopardy game: Binders were given to the students with information about the questions asked. Each category had 5 questions; color coded to match the color coding in the binders. Help was given to point the students in the right direction to find the answer. After a question was answered there was a small discussion to clarify any questions the students asked. At the end of the game, before the students made their transition to their next presenter, they chose bookmarks from AG in the Classroom to take with them.
Total Spring Show Platte County Agriplex – May 14th, 2022
Sponsored by The Platte County Chamber of Commerce.
Platte County Weed and Pest display included:
Information pamphlets for chemicals we use, Venue and Milestone, Weed identifying booklets, Grasshopper information sheets, 1/128 calibration sheets, book markers from Ag in the Classroom, Ice scrapers, Wyoming Weed and Pest Council Rulers, Temporary tattoos
Discovery Day Fire Training Center – May 7th, 2022
Discovery Day was sponsored by Kiwanis.
Different types of vehicles were there: Police, Fire and Rescue from Guernsey, Palmer Canyon, and Wheatland, Ambulance, Flight for Life, City Sanitation, trash truck, Road and Bridge, road grader, Wheatland REA, Mechanical lifts, Farm tractors, Semi-trucks, Platte County Weed & Pest Roads Truck
The tank was filled with 150 gallons of water and 8 ounces blue dye.
Proper signs were put on the tank to inform the public that pesticides are run through the tank every summer.
The truck was washed to the best of our ability before going to this event.
Kids and adults were able to sit inside the truck and climb onto the deck where the tank sits. *Reminders about pesticides being run through the tank were given verbally and Weed and Pest supervised while anyone was inside the truck or on the deck.
Bubble light, road sign was on. Road work sign was in place.
Explanation of what all our switches do, making sure the boom power was OFF.
Marked map was shown to explain how we know which roads have been sprayed.
Wyoming Designated and County Declared lists were explained, these are the weeds we properly identify and spray.
Weed identification books were looked at to find weeds on the lists for proper identification.