Balsam bashers wage war on invasive species

Thousands of invasive Himalayan balsam plants were removed from a riverside site in Lancashire when volunteers from United Utilities got to work balsam bashing.

A team of five volunteers from the company’s Capital Delivery and Water Services team in Lancashire joined forces with the Ribble Rivers Trust to clear a patch that of land in Alston Woods, Grimsargh that had become overwhelmed with the balsam.

Mike Shiels, a Delivery Manager at United Utilities explained: “We were looking for a project to support that would have a positive impact here in Lancashire.

“We are all in the water team and we know that negative impact that Himalayan balsam has on water quality by contributing to riverbank erosion and disrupting the natural ecosystem along riverbanks.”

In just one day, the team cleared an area around 25m squared.

Mike added: “There were some aching muscles at the end of the day, but it was worth it to see the difference we had made to the local area working as a team alongside the Ribble Rivers Trust.”

The session was arranged by Ribble Rivers Trust as part of a series of invasive species events.

Mike Flaherty, Conservation and Volunteering Officer at Ribble Rivers trust added: "Himalayan Balsam is a non-native invasive plant introduced by the Victorians in the early 1800's. When groups, such as United Utilities, volunteer their time to help control balsam, they are helping to restore riparian habitats by preventing the plant from outcompeting our native vegetation, they are helping to reduce the risk of flooding by allowing native, deep rooting plants to stabilize riverbanks, and they are helping to enhance biodiversity by preventing it spreading further.

Thank you to United Utilities and other volunteers for helping us tackle this invasive species in Alston Wood."

The Ribble Rivers Trust is actively working to address the impacts of Himalayan balsam and other threats to salmon populations in the Ribble catchment through their "Room for Rivers: River Revival" program. This program focuses on initiatives like improving fish passage, restoring natural river habitats, and creating wetlands to filter pollutants and trap sediment.