Trust offers landowners help to wipe out alien invasive plants

The Trust is offering to help landowners eradicate Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed from their properties - all non-native invasive plants that are infesting our waterways and causing real problems for our wildlife. And it is also seeking volunteers to help survey for these plants and to help pull up the balsam.

The Trust’s Wiltshire Invasive Plants Project wants to support landowners with land along the Salisbury Avon (and its tributaries the Nadder, Ebble, Wylye and Bourne); the By Brook in the north Wiltshire Cotswolds and the River Ray that runs through Swindon.

These plants can be a real headache for landowners as well as wildlife. Giant hogweed can cause painful blistering on contact with the skin, which is a health risk in areas of public access. If left to get out of hand the plants can lead to bank erosion and a greater risk of winter flash floods, as well as mounting removal costs.

Landowners have a legal obligation to stop the spread of these species on their land but it can be overwhelming for an individual to try and find the time and resources to take action.

The three-year project, which is funded by the SITA Trust, Natural England and the Environment Agency and is in its second year, aims to map, control and eliminate the three species across the target rivers and landowners are crucial to holding back any infestations by providing access to land.

“2010 is the UN International Year of Biodiversity and all across the world we are being encouraged not only to celebrate our natural biodiversity, but also to help it. These three species are a huge threat because they create vast monocultures that out-compete our native species and threaten the biodiversity of the areas they inhabit,” says Emma Harrington, Senior Project Officer for the project.

Project staff will begin surveying from mid-May to identify areas of balsam so they can begin pulling the weed before it sets seed.

“All three plants grow on river banks and can quickly spread downstream, so it is essential that we tackle the species from source to confluence as early as possible,” says Emma.

Last year more than 60 landowners were provided with guidance and advice and the work revealed that the scale of the infestation is far worse than previously thought.

The project team found that landowners were mostly really enthusiastic about their efforts and appreciated their help.

“We can provide advice sheets to help landowners identify these species and to detail the control methods. We can advise them where to find potential sources of financial assistance for eradication and appropriate contractors to deal with the giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed, which can only be tackled by someone who has gained a specific certificate in herbicide application,” says Emma.

“If landowners along these rivers have too much balsam to pull up themselves, we will try to provide volunteers who will help reduce the problem to a manageable level, so that they can carry on eradicating it afterwards,” she says.

SEEKING VOLUNTEERS

The Trust is seeking volunteers to survey for the three plants, and pull up balsam. All ages can take part, although children aged under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Last year more than 680 volunteer hours were put into pulling balsam - a fantastic achievement, but the problem is far from being solved.

Balsam produces purplish-pink flowers from June to August and has the ability to hurl its seeds with great force by means of a coiled spring mechanism within the seed-pod. This makes it virtually unstoppable once it has set seed. The key is to tackle the plant while it is in flower and easy to recognise, but before it releases its seeds.

“We can offer different options,” says Emma. “Volunteers can take part in ad-hoc balsam bashing tasks; become a regular member of a work party pulling balsam or become a regular surveyor,” she says.

“The tasks are good fun and as balsam is easy to pull up you get the satisfaction of making great progress in a little time.”

Volunteer Simon Taber says: “There are so many reasons to volunteer. It’s really rewarding because pulling balsam is such a hands-on practical way to make a difference to the environment. You develop a good rapport with other volunteers and you are usually out in beautiful places. We get to talk to loads of landowners who didn’t realise the scale of the problem at first but are keen to do their bit.”

Devizes resident Simon, who graduated from university with a degree in wildlife management and conservation, adds that it’s a really helpful way for young people wanting to work in the environmental sector to get some work experience.

Volunteers may also be given the opportunity to complete a day’s training on how to lead practical tasks so that groups can independently monitor and tackle balsam.

Also needed are volunteers to help raise awareness of the problems these species cause, such as putting up posters or attending events.

If you are a landowner anywhere in Wiltshire and you have an invasive plant species on your land, please let us know as we can provide advice and information, says Emma. “And if your land is on one of the target rivers we will try provide you with as much assistance as possible.”

Contact Emma Harrington on (01380) 725670 ext. 276 or email emmah@wiltshirewildlife.org For a volunteering form, please contact Hilary Sterritt (01380) 725670 ext 269/292.