“Little by little, a little becomes a lot.” — Tanzanian proverb
Mary L. and Emily S. celebrate a successful musk thistle removal session.
Another successful year of volunteer weed control in Game Creek is in the books. What appeared to some as a laborious, futile, and seemingly endless task in 2019 has transformed into one of the most consistent and impactful community habitat improvement efforts in Teton County.
This year marked another record season. Thirty-one returning and new volunteers — a 63% increase from 2024 — contributed 466 hours of hard work, a 132% jump from last year. Together, we mechanically treated 80 acres of habitat (a 19% increase) and removed a whopping 1,301 pounds of thistle seedheads, more than double last year’s total. Hardy volunteers spent three field days this fall removing nearly 25,000 musk thistle rosettes, so we won’t have to deal with them next year.
That’s not just a massive wake of invasive species - it’s an ecological victory. Based on sample counts, an average Game Creek musk thistle seedhead weighs 3.04 grams or 0.0067 pounds. A pound of seedheads contains anywhere between 30,000 to 450,000 seeds. Using that range, volunteers prevented an estimated 331 million thistle seeds from ever reaching the soil this year alone. When added to six previous years we’ve removed nearly a billion potential thistle seeds from Game Creek.
Volunteer participation (orange) and seed prevention (green) in Game Creek have grown steadily since 2019, with record-breaking gains in 2025.
While the numbers are remarkable, the true impact runs deeper. Each hour spent pulling weeds strengthens the native plant community, improves wildlife forage, and restores the scenic character of a popular community recreation area. The work is slow and steady, but the results are visible and lasting. Click here to see our work firsthand on Teenage Wasteland, High School Butte, and Don’t Stop Believin’.
Mary G. expertly demonstrates proper seedhead removal technique in Game Creek.
Since starting small in 2019, we’ve grown into a thriving, skilled crew. Those who’ve returned year after year often describe how meaningful it is to work together for a shared purpose and to watch the steady progress unfold over time. The success of the Game Creek work has inspired a steadily increasing number of agency partners, non-profit organizations, students, and volunteers to adopt new areas including Crystal Light, Karns Meadow, and Shadow Mountain.
Reach out to morgan@tetonconservation.org or visit the Habitat Heroes website if you want to join the movement.
Teton Conservation District extends heartfelt thanks to every volunteer who gave their time and energy this season.
Beth T., Mary L., Mary G., Sarah S., Floren P., and Lloyd D. (left to right) round out a beautiful fall morning of removing 8,996 musk thistle rosettes.
2025 Game Creek Habitat Heroes:
Mary Gerty, Arne Johanson, Mary Lohuis, Lloyd Dorsey, Chuck Harris, Emily Smith, Karen Jerger, Sarah Soper, Janet Dibbs-Laming, Marley Pankratz, Cam Bahnsen, Chris Owen, Margaret Kibbler, Carol Peck, Beth Toftum, Susan Marsh, Chris Peck, Mark Plucinski, Floren Poliseo, Carlin Girard, Karen Clause, Vicki Memmer, Trevor Bloom, Blaine Lessard, Maureen Harri, Parker Wilson, Kent Fiske, Kelly Halpin, Todd Stiles, and Toby Smith… and Morgan!