Walking through the Parque 3 de Febrero in Buenos Aires, I came upon an old acquaintance. There it was, by the side of the path in a hardscrabble patch of dirt. The scourge of cyclists everywhere. Puncturevine. I can't count all the flats I've changed due to this invasive species. Puncturevine, or the 'goathead' plant, is on the Idaho noxious weed list that categorizes 64 different harmful, non-native species. Invasive species are one of the greatest threats worldwide to The Nature Conservancy's mission of protecting biodiversity. 
As a native of the Old World, it's also an invader in Argentina. Fortunately, puncturevine is not a big threat to our conservation targets in Idaho or Argentina. All the same, this was a surprise encounter I could've done without.
-- Bas Hargrove
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