Let's Clean up the himalayan balsam together!
Image copyright: Evelyn Simak / Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) / CC BY-SA 2.0
Himalayan Balsam Plan July 2025
Background
The River Char is generally infested with Himalayan Balsam, despite some individual landowners controlling it on their land, and sporadic local authority initiatives. Himalayan Balsam is very good at colonising riverbanks and reed beds, forming dense clumps that drive out native vegetation, cause damage to banks and remove a key food source for riverflies, which in turn affects fish and bird populations.
Outline of activities in the 2025 Plan
Charmouth
The River Char in Charmouth contains reed-beds that are valuable (and perhaps irreplaceable) resources for songbirds. Infestation seems limited on the Char but there are infestations on both sides of the river below the confluence of the main river and the Monkton Stream.
We plan to work on these infestations, because of the greater availability of (human) resource, to increase awareness and skills. We will pull plants on the accessible banks in Seadown Holiday Park and the opposite bank wearing waders to cross the river.
We will also turn to the Balsam infestation in the reed beds later in July when we are confident nesting / fledging has ceased and plants are easier to find among the reeds, again wearing waders (All work requiring waders will be done in (at a minimum) pairs and require bouyancy aids to be worn – the river has deep holes.)
Up-River
It’s generally accepted that Himalayan Balsam seeds migrate down stream on the water (although they’re also distributed by bird, animal and human activity and, given the prevailing westerly winds, probably by the wind, too.) So we need to focus up-river to begin to properly address the Balsam issue. It seems sensible to start with the Char, where we believe the issue is most intense.
In order to study feasibility we will, with the permission of the landowner, pull Balsam in a riverside location in Whitchurch.
Health & Safety
Volunteers will be asked to acknowledge that they have read and will behave in accord with the Risk Assessment in the “RCAG – Himalayan Balsam Guide ”.
Schedule for July 2025
For more information, please email: [email protected]
Background
The River Char is generally infested with Himalayan Balsam, despite some individual landowners controlling it on their land, and sporadic local authority initiatives. Himalayan Balsam is very good at colonising riverbanks and reed beds, forming dense clumps that drive out native vegetation, cause damage to banks and remove a key food source for riverflies, which in turn affects fish and bird populations.
Outline of activities in the 2025 Plan
Charmouth
The River Char in Charmouth contains reed-beds that are valuable (and perhaps irreplaceable) resources for songbirds. Infestation seems limited on the Char but there are infestations on both sides of the river below the confluence of the main river and the Monkton Stream.
We plan to work on these infestations, because of the greater availability of (human) resource, to increase awareness and skills. We will pull plants on the accessible banks in Seadown Holiday Park and the opposite bank wearing waders to cross the river.
We will also turn to the Balsam infestation in the reed beds later in July when we are confident nesting / fledging has ceased and plants are easier to find among the reeds, again wearing waders (All work requiring waders will be done in (at a minimum) pairs and require bouyancy aids to be worn – the river has deep holes.)
Up-River
It’s generally accepted that Himalayan Balsam seeds migrate down stream on the water (although they’re also distributed by bird, animal and human activity and, given the prevailing westerly winds, probably by the wind, too.) So we need to focus up-river to begin to properly address the Balsam issue. It seems sensible to start with the Char, where we believe the issue is most intense.
In order to study feasibility we will, with the permission of the landowner, pull Balsam in a riverside location in Whitchurch.
Health & Safety
Volunteers will be asked to acknowledge that they have read and will behave in accord with the Risk Assessment in the “RCAG – Himalayan Balsam Guide ”.
Schedule for July 2025
- Sunday 6th July 10am – Seadown Caravan Park – meet inside the gate by the footbridge near Charmouth beach. We’ll check the already pulled areas, pull any missed plants, cross the river to pull balsam on the far side, enter the reedbeds (in pairs) to pull there.
- Wednesday 9th July 10:00 – 12:30 - Between Charmouth & Wootton. Two meeting places: at the end of Barr's Lane, by the footpath under the A35 and Wootton Village Hall (with good parking).
For more information, please email: [email protected]