CHEYENNE, WYO. (July 15, 2025) – For many people both locally and nationally, summertime in Wyoming means exploring the state’s national parks, saddling up for long horse rides, and enjoying all of the breath-taking nature the state has to offer. It’s not quite as relaxing for the folks over at the Wyoming Weed and Pest Council (WWPC), however, because summer also means that many invasive plant and weed species are at the height of their growth.
That’s why, every year, WWPC districts across the state hire hundreds of young seasonal employees to help fight these pesky invaders and keep Wyoming wild and beautiful during the warm months.
“We have to try to get so much work done in such a limited amount of time, that we need to look outside of our regular partnerships,” said Julie Kraft, Sublette County Weed and Pest Supervisor. “So, in the spring, each district goes out and recruits summer employees. Statewide, we typically hire a couple hundred a year.”
Just like other seasonal jobs, these positions are mostly filled by high school and college-age students who are looking to make an extra buck or two before the end of their summer vacation. Instead of serving up ice cream or taking on roles as camp counselors, the summer employees of the WWPC are out pulling and spraying weeds, identifying new species of noxious plants, and detecting areas where foreign pests threaten to push out native wildlife.
Melissa Bullinger, 22, is the team lead for summer employees of the Big Horn County Weed and Pest District. Like many of her peers across the state, Melissa has worked for the district for multiple years. A Burlington native, she is currently in her third season with district.
“For me, it’s been a huge confidence booster working together with the people here and having important responsibilities,” said Melissa. “I am very proud of my work. Plus, I get paid to go hiking!”
Serving her community isn’t the only thing that motivates Melissa to come back to her role year after year. She currently studies Plant Science and Technology at BYU-Idaho and the on-the-job experience she gets working as a seasonal employee has been a perfect complement to her education and future career plans.
“I chose my major because of Weed and Pest,” said Melissa. “I was originally going to go into mechanical engineering, which I would have enjoyed, but I love being outside in nature. And so now, a lot of what I study in school is directly related to weeds and pests.”
While working summer hours for the WWPC makes sense for plenty of local youth, the jobs also attract students from out of state who want to learn more about the environment and the role invasive plants play in nature. 23-year-old Abby McWilliams, for example, is in her second year with the Fremont County District. Although she hails from Illinois, Abby has taken a keen interest in her work here in Wyoming, often going above and beyond her typical duties to pull cheatgrass during her breaks or sharing her findings of Russian knapweed with her crew.
“I went to Farm and Ranch Days in Fremont County for my soil science class last year and they mentioned they had an internship,” said Abby. “I really love the work, I think it’s really important. Also, it’s cool to go back to these spaces we worked on last year and see that all the weeds we treated are gone now.”
Abby has moved to Wyoming fulltime and expressed interest in working year-round with the WWPC when she finishes college. She is just one of many students who wants to take what they’ve learned over the summer and continue the fight of invasive species for her new home.
“I’ve fallen in love with this state. I like the wildlife, the access to public lands, and the people here are some of the nicest I’ve ever met,” says Abby. “It’s important to always try and give back to your communities and Wyoming has become my community, so I’m happy that I get to do that.”
“These workers learn a lot during their summer hours,” said Julie. “We like to joke with them that once they work with us, they’ll never go out on a road trip or a hike without being able to spot weeds ever again. It also really helps them understand that our natural resources are beyond important, and that’s something they’ll carry with them forever.”
Anyone interested in becoming a seasonal employee with one of the 23 weed and pest districts in Wyoming are encouraged to visit wyoweed.org and contact their local office. Folks are also encouraged to explore the other ways to get involved with the WWPC and help keep the state free of noxious weeds and pests.
About the Wyoming Weed and Pest Council
Wyoming Weed and Pest Council (WWPC) is comprised of 23 Weed and Pest Districts in the state of Wyoming. The Council works closely with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and the University of Wyoming to keep current with the latest technology and research available in the ongoing management of noxious weeds and pests. The overall mission is to provide unified support and leadership for the integrated management of noxious weeds and pests to protect economic and ecological resources in the state.
