Dorset's aliens get the chop

They're big, they're strong, and they come from the Himalayas, stifling whatever they can as they multiply by the thousand. No, not the mythical yetis, but alien plants. The Himalayan balsam is leading an invasion of Dorset’s rivers.

Now Dorset Wildlife Trust & Dorset Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) have launched an offensive to give this and other harmful alien plants the elbow before it is too late for native river wildlife.

‘Return of the Natives’ is a 3 year project led by Dorset Wildlife Trust & Dorset Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and funded by Natural England, DEFRA and the Environment Agency, to remove Himalayan balsam from the Frome, the Bere Stream and the Moors River and their tributaries, and to examine the extent of the threat from other alien plants.

Top of the hit-list is Himalayan balsam, now the fastest growing annual plant in Britain. Originally brought here by the Victorians, each plant can produce up to 800 seeds and can grow to a height of 3 metres, shading out all native plants. Not only that, but once it has killed native plants with their stabilising root systems, river banks become vulnerable to erosion.

Sarah Williams, Conservation Officer at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “We need to do something about these aliens now. Himalayan balsam already has a foothold on Dorset’s rivers, but if we act now we can stop it. We are calling on volunteers who would like to help us in the task, which will start at the head of the rivers and work downstream, as otherwise the seeds could be carried down to new sites. Dorset has wonderful rivers for wildlife – let’s keep it that way.”

Other aliens under investigation are skunk cabbage which has already appeared at Dorset Wildlife Trust’s East Stoke Fen reserve, and monkey flower which is starting to threaten other parts of the country. Both are sold as aquatic plants. Dorset Wildlife Trust recommends native plants for your garden pond or boggy area, including meadowsweet, purple loosestrife, marsh marigold and water forget-me-not.

The project will be launched on Tuesday 15^th June at 11am on the River Hooke, a tributary of the Frome, at the first of a series of work parties. All volunteers are welcome – contact Sarah Williams on 01305 264620 for details and please mention that you saw this on the mags4dorset website.