Archive for the ‘Blackhawk Community’ Category

Posted on June 29, 2010 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

Community Potluck and Thistle Education!

This past Saturday homeowners and staff from Blackhawk gathered at the Ranch House to enjoy some amazing food and amazing sunshine! A big thank you to the Johnsons, DeSchryvers, Blooms, and Hobsons for bringing all that delicious food and another thank you to Kyle Nixon for being our BBQ guru!

In between catching up, telling jokes and enjoying cocktails in the sun, we also endeavored to learn how to distinguish between several types of noxious weeds. One of the plants we see most often (and are always trying to eradicate) are thistles. As a reminder to everyone who attended this event (and as an education for those who couldn’t join us), below are photos of each type of thistle typically found at Blackhawk and how to treat each species.

Scotch Thistle: You can easily kill this by using a shovel.
Canada Thistle: This thistle is a bit more stubborn and should be eradicated using a spray.
Idaho Native Thistle: This is actually a “friendly thistle” and SHOULD NOT be killed if possible. The Idaho Native Thistle is non-spreading and non-invasive and plays a major role in animal and insect eco-systems.

Posted on May 14, 2010 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

Keep those pesky mosquitoes away!

Mosquito Abatement Tips and Hints

Have you already started hearing that annoying little buzz in your ear? Mosquito season is upon us and to help you have a more pleasant outdoor season, we wanted to provide a few hints and ideas to keep these unwanted pests to a minimum.

Mosquito Dunks: These simple dunks are a natural, organic way to eliminate mosquitoes in standing water. One dunk typically treats 100 square feet of water for up to 30 days. You can purchase these dunks in several places and they typically sell for about $20 for 20 dunks. We found some great products on E-Bay and Amazon (just search “mosquito dunks”).

Bat Houses: One of the best mosquito abatement options comes at night! One adult bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes per hour. The best method of attracting these mosquito-eating machines is to install bat houses. Visit www.BatConservation.com to view plans for building your own bat house. You can also purchase DIY kits or ready-made structures.

Posted on December 29, 2009 - by Editor

Happy New Year from Blackhawk on the River

Make a Smilebox greeting

Posted on December 28, 2009 - by Blackhawk Staff Writer

Blackhawk goes to the moon...the Blue Moon Yurt, that is!

To celebrate the season, Blackhawk and friends trekked to the Blue Moon Yurt in Ponderosa State Park for an amazing staff retreat. Geared up in snowshoes and skiis, the team followed a torch-light trail to the yurt where a four course Thai dinner awaited. Thanks to the staff at the Yurt who made our annual Christmas party such an memorable (and delicious) event!

For more information on booking the Blue Moon Yurt for your next family adventure, please call (208) 634-3111.

Posted on November 4, 2009 - by mckenzie

Blackhawk Welcomes the Sportsmen's Foundation

Blackhawk welcomed members of the Sportsmen Foundation during their 6th annual Sportsmen-Legislator Summit held in McCall, Idaho.

The Sportsmen Foundation’s , headquartered in Washington, DC , sole focus is providing access and a voice for sportsmen in the U.S. Congress, the Administration and federal land management agencies, as well as state legislatures across the country. With support from every major hunting and fishing organization and industry, the Foundation is the leader in promoting sportsmen’s issues with elected officials.

During their day at Blackhawk, Foundation members from across the country gathered to test their fly fishing skills along the Payette River. Casting lessons were provided for those new to the sport (with most hooking their first fish!). For those who wanted a scenic tour of the area, a trail ride through the Blackhawk Meadow provided the perfect afternoon activity.

Blackahwk wants to thank everyone who made it to McCall for this year’s conference - we hope to see you back soon!

Posted on September 19, 2009 - by mckenzie

Noxious Weeds Part III: Canada Thistle

Canada thistle is found in the northern U.S. and southern Canada. Canada thistle is present is every county in Idaho. It is one of Idaho’s most widespread and damaging noxious weeds.

Canada thistle is a perennialPlant that lives for more than 2 growing seasons plant up to 5 feet tall. Leaves are wavy marginedmargin: edge of the leaf to lobedA cut into a leaf from the edge toward the center; greater than toothed, but not quite compound, up to 6 inches long, and armed with yellowish spines. Stems are single, branched near the top, ridged, and hollow. Flower headsA group of flowers borne tightly together are borne in midsummer, ½ inch in diameter, and are not particularly spiny. Flowers are purple to lavender, occasionally white, with male and female flowers borne on separate plants. Seeds are slender, tan, 1/8 inch long, and bear fine plumesA hairlike or featherlike structure, often on a seed.t brown comblike marginThe edge of the leaf. The upper part of each bract narrows into a short, stiff spine. Seeds are brown to gray in color and are tipped by plumesA hairlike or featherlike structure, often on a seed that fall off at maturity.

Natural communities that are threatened by Canada thistle include non-forested plant communities such as prairies, barrens, savannas, glades, sand dunes, fields and meadows that have been impacted by disturbance. As it establishes itself in an area, Canada thistle crowds out and replaces native plants, changes the structure and species composition of natural plant communities and reduces plant and animal diversity. This highly invasive thistle prevents the coexistence of other plant species through shading, competition for soil resources and possibly through the release of chemical toxins poisonous to other plants. 

Canada thistle is declared a “noxious weed” throughout the U.S. and has long been recognized as a major agricultural pest, costing tens of millions of dollars in direct crop losses annually and additional millions costs for control. Only recently have the harmful impacts of Canada thistle to native species and natural ecosystems received notable attention.

Canada thistle was introduced to the United States, probably by accident, in the early 1600s and, by 1954, had been declared a noxious weed in forty three states. In Canada and the U.S., it is considered one of the most tenacious and economically important agricultural weeds, but only in recent years has it been recognized as a problem in natural areas.

Management of Canada thistle can be achieved through hand-cutting, mowing, controlled burning, and chemical means, depending on the level of infestation and the type of area being managed. Due to its perennial nature, entire plants must be killed in order to prevent regrowth from rootstock. Hand-cutting of individual plants or mowing of larger infestations should be conducted prior to seed set and must be repeated until the starch reserves in the roots are exhausted. Because early season burning of Canada thistle can stimulate its growth and flowering, controlled burns should be carried out late in the growing season for best effect.

In natural areas where Canada thistle is interspersed with desirable native plants, targeted application of a systemic herbicide such as glyphosate (e.g., Roundup® or Rodeo®), which carries plant toxins to the roots, may be effective. For extensive infestations in disturbed areas with little desirable vegetation, broad application of this type herbicide may be the most effective method. Repeated applications are usually necessary due to the long life of seeds stored in the soil.

Posted on September 12, 2009 - by mckenzie

Noxious Weeds Part II: Leafy Spurge

Leafy Spurge, also known as Wolf’s Milk, or Wolf’s-milk is a flowering plant found in North America, but native to Eurasia. It is classified as an invasive species by the United States Department of Agriculture.

 

Leafy spurge is characterized by plants containing a white milky sap and flower parts in three’s. Leafy spurge is an erect, branching, perennial herb 2 to 3½ feet tall, with smooth stems and showy yellow flower bracts. Stems frequently occur in clusters from a vertical root that can extend many feet underground. The leaves are small, oval to lance-shaped, somewhat frosted and slightly wavy along the margin. The flowers of leafy spurge are very small and are borne in greenish-yellow structures surrounded by yellow bracts. Clusters of these showy, yellow bracts open in late May or early June, while the actual flowers do not develop until mid-June. 

 

Leafy spurge displaces native vegetation in prairie habitats and fields through shading and by usurping available water and nutrients and through plant toxins that prevent the growth of other plants underneath it. Leafy spurge is an aggressive invader and, once present, can completely overtake large areas of open land. 

 

Leafy spurge tolerates moist to dry soil conditions but is most aggressive under dry conditions where competition from native plants is reduced. It is capable of invading disturbed sites, including prairies, savannas, pastures, abandoned fields and roadside areas. 

 

Leafy spurge was transported to the U.S. possibly as a seed impurity in the early 1800s. First recorded from Massachusetts in 1827, leafy spurge spread quickly and reached the Western United States within about 80 years. 

 

Control:

Biological control agents (several stem/root boring beetles, a shoot tip gall midge, a stem boring moth, and 3 root/defoliating flea beetles) have been inconsistent in Idaho. Sheep and goats have been used to check the rate of spread of leafy spurge. Herbicides are available for control.

 

For more information, click to visit Idaho’s Virtual Field Guide presented by the Weed Awareness Campaign.

Posted on September 5, 2009 - by mckenzie

Noxious Weeds Part I: Spotted Knapweed

Spotted Knapweed is an aggressive, introduced weed species that rapidly invades pasture, rangeland and fallow land and causes a serious decline in forage and crop production. The weed is a prolific seed producer with 1000 or more seeds per plant. Seed remains viable in the soil five years or more, so infestations may occur a number of years after vegetative plants have been eliminated. Spotted Knapweed has few natural enemies and is consumed by livestock only when other vegetation is unavailable. The plant releases a toxin that reduces growth of forage species. Areas heavily infested with Spotted Knapweed often must be reseeded once the plant is controlled.

Historical records indicate that Spotted Knapweed was introduced from Eastern Europe into North America in the early 1900s as a contaminant in crop seed. It now infests several million acres of grazing land in the northwestern United States and Canada.

 Identification:

Spotted Knapweed is a biennial plant that germinates in one growing season, then flowers, seeds, and dies during a second or short-lived perennial plant that lives for more than 2 growing seasons. Mature plants may be 3 feet in height and are much branched. The weed forms a basal at the base of plant or plant part rosette, a circular, normally basal, clump of leaves. The first year and stem leaves are pinnately with 2 rows of leaflets, like a feather divided. Flower heads are abundant, ½ inch wide, and generally solitary on branch tips. Flowers are pink to purple, or occasionally white, and appear from midsummer to fall. Each stiff flower head bract leaflike structure at the base of flowers or leaves has a dark comblike fringe resembling a black spot at the tip. Seeds are dark brown to tan and are tipped by plumes. A hairlike or featherlike structure, often on a seed that fall off at maturity.

Control:

Spotted Knapweed is one of the most prolific noxious weeds in Idaho. Several biological control agents are available to stop the spread of this plant. A seed head moth and 2 seed head gall flies have been effective. Effective herbicides are also available for control of Spotted Knapweed. For more information or to report a large crop of Spotted Knapweed, please call the Idaho Weed Awareness Campaign at 1-866-IDWEEDS. You can also log on to Idaho’s Virtual Weed Guide to find out more about noxious weeds in your area: Click here for the Virtual Weed Guide.

Posted on August 29, 2009 - by mckenzie

Fighting Idaho's Noxious Weeds

This week at Blackhawk, Director of Outdoor Pursuits Jil Wickander hosted an organizational meeting with the Blackhawk Ranch, Blackhawk Lake and Blackhawk on the River HOAs to discuss a plan for controlling the spread of several species of noxious weeds found within our development.

Noxious weeds are plants that can make significant modifications to the natural environment such as accelerating soil erosion and changing stream velocity. The primary noxious weeds we see in and around Valley County and at Blackhawk are spotted knapweed, leafy spurge and Canadian thistle.

To combat these invasive plants, Blackhawk, together with homeowners, will be putting together a program to educate the community, organize community weeding parties, and get several community members licensed to spray for these noxious weeds in an effort to control the spread of each species.

In addition, Blackhawk will be posting information on these three noxious weeds online in the weeks to come. Check back to learn more about each individual plant including how to identify and control the spread of each featured noxious weed.

Posted on August 21, 2009 - by mckenzie

Blackhawk's New K9 Addition

We at Blackhawk on the River are excited to introduce you to our newest “employee,” Skylark. Sky, as she is affectionately known, is a 4 month old Rottweiler puppy who has made the Blackhawk Ranch House and Equestrian Center home…she has already taken to herding the chickens for Jil, Blakchawk’s Equestrian Center Director!

With her good looks, sweet temperament and blossoming ranch-dog abilities, we are sure Sky will provide us all with many happy memories to come!