Goatheads are spiky, invasive plants that wreak havoc on soft, squishy things like flip flops, animal paws and— most notoriously, bicycle tires.
Nina Schaeffer is with the Boise Bicycle Project, or BBP. She says BBP struggled to fight against the tire-terrorizing plants by themselves.
“Over 50% of the bicycles we were giving away to kids had a flat tire within three months of them riding," she said.
But with the community's help, more than eight tons of goatheads have been eliminated in the Treasure Valley over the past two years. This summer, the group aims to remove four more tons.
Participants can pick goatheads wherever they please or use the map on BBP's website to target troubled areas. Then, they can bring their bags to the Northend Nursery to be weighed.
Typically, there’s a big celebration to cap off two months of picking. But this year the Boise Goathead Fest won’t be possible due to the pandemic. Still, Schaeffer said they plan on having some sort of celebration.
“We’re really excited to see what we can do with this event because by that time everyone is going to be itching for some fun activities outside," said Schaeffer.
The official goathead collection runs from Monday, June 1 until the end of July.
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