Ah the heady days of summer are upon us, a balmy 21 degrees and little wind are a sure sign of two things; midges are in full swing and masses of Hymalayan Balsam is ready to be pulled. Inverness have been flying the flag for invasive species control in the Highlands over the past three weeks, pulling the plant at some very sceneic locations along the rivers and burn around the Cromarty Firth.
Yesterday we had to change tactics, we took both Green Gym and Midweek groups to tackle a 2000 metre stretch of H.Balsam and it was thick; nothing else grew in parts of the burn and it had started to flower in places. Armed with a host of sharp pointy tools, we went to work. Pulling would have taken too long, so we took the plants right down to ground level. The aim was to stop flowering for now, and return to site within a few weeks to remove any regeneration.
The gang had been pulling for days, so it was interesting to swap tactics – that and it was a good way to release any tension created by being a midges diner!! Another session on Thursday should clear most of the really dense stands.
The work is part of a five year project along the burns and rivers that feed into the Cromarty Firth, anyone interested in pulling, spotting and learning more about this plant can contact our office for a chat. There are miles of waterway to be checked to ensure we erradicate this alien plant as soon as possible.