Balsam Bashing

activty Juniper was a place of great activity on Tuesday 4thJuly with Hexham Rotary helping Tyne Rivers Trust remove a patch of Himalayan Balsam. This invasive plant is an annual which although it has pretty flowers is a threat to our native plants as it seeds readily—500-1000 seeds per plant– and outgrows the natural vegetation. It also causes erosion of river banks.
group 9 Rotarians turned out under the guidance of Jenny Dowden of Tyne Rivers Trust to clear a wooded area on the banks of the Rowley Burn. The boggy area presented its own hazards of treacherous ground and a strong growth of nettles and goosegrass. At fiona times we almost disappeared among the undergrowth. A two hour stint before a picnic lunch saw a substantial area cleared and this was added to before we packed up later on.
The event was organised by Christopher Porter and included , the two Andys, Brian, Paula, Peter, Fiona, Chris and John.