Volunteering with Eden Rivers Trust in July is all about Himalayan balsam.

This super-successful, super-invasive non-native mega plant could easily be the villain in any Bond movie. It is spreading through the catchment at an amazing rate, out-competing our native flora for land and pollinators, leaving bare riverbanks at the mercy of water and weather through the winter and spitting out a huge bank of seed for further invasion the following year. As a result, Himalayan balsam plants can now be found in all the major waterways of the Eden catchment - outlining becks and ponds, gullies and even the Eden itself in a summer fringe of candy pink.
 
It does have an Achilles heel - Himalayan balsam roots form a very shallow, weak root ball which makes the plants easy to pull by anybody who wants to join the fight. In addition, the cold blast that we had in May this year zapped the balsam in some areas, helping to slow down growth and reduce its’ spread - and giving us a smaller target.
 
Join us for a programme of beating and bashing through the summer; come out to the Trout Beck in early July for our Big Balsam Bash week; Learn everything you need to know to get geared up and battle ready so you can join the fight anywhere you see a few not quite so innocent looking plants starting to gain a foothold.

Hope to see you soon
 

Thursday 15 July, 10am - 3pm 
Maulds Meaburn

A break from the balsam! We will be working round the permissive footpath, cutting grass, trimming overhanging vegetation and freeing up some of the trees from the confines of the tree guards and encroaching grass. 

There'll be extra help or a quick refresher to make sure everybody is comfortable using the scythes before we start on the footpath but there are lots of jobs that need doing so it really will be a day for everybody.

No experience needed but numbers are limited and priority will be given to volunteers who are interested in a regular commitment to working on this site.
Book in on volunteers@edenrt.org or phone Jenni on 07834 555185