Friends of River Frome take on pink plant pest!

FRIENDS of the River Frome is launching this year’s ‘Balsam Bash’ campaign, with their first work party of the year taking place on Thursday 20th June.  

The target is one of Europe’s major plant pests, Himalayan Balsam, which grows along river banks, beside streams and ditches and in wetlands. Unfortunately it is abundant along the River Frome.

As part of a nationwide effort to eradicate this plant, Friends of the River Frome is currently seeking more volunteers to join its summertime Balsam Bashes along the river. The group is also offering to help any landowners and farmers upstream of Frome, as they too will need to control it where it occurs along the river and its tributaries.

Balsam Bash leader, Dorothy-Anne Bryant said, “It is vital for us to engage with farmers and landowners; unless we can get rid of the plant upstream of Frome, our efforts to get rid of it along the town stretches downstream will be pointless, because the river will just bring fresh seed and drop it into our cleared areas.”

Further information about Himalayan Balsam including an App for your Smartphone is available at planttracker.natureocator.org

Balsam Bashes take place in and around Frome during the summer – for details of events see www.fromeriverfriends.org.uk, email via the website or phone 01373 300583.  The first ‘bash’ of the year meets 10.30am, 20th June at the Cheese and Grain.