Conclusions 1. Smooth brome and creeping thistle are choking out the native rough fescue grasslands in Whispering Woods. 2. Smooth brome thrives in areas of moisture and in dappled shade, such as underneath an aspen canopy. 3. Geocaching in Whispering Woods creates new trails, tramples native prairie, and may help spread smooth brome and creeping thistle. 4. Installed pathways cause less trampling of the grassland habitat around them. 5. Aspen groves are expanding, and are considered a weed when they encroach on the rough fescue grasslands. 6. Pulling goat’s beard by hand is an effective treatment when the populations are relatively low.