They say it takes a village — and in the case of the Eden Rivers Trust, it took more than seven.
The Trust, which is a conservation charity organization in England's Cumbria region, successfully pulled off its "Big Balsam Bash" earlier this year with some help from its friends, as reported by local newspaper News & Star. Specifically, the organization enlisted the help of 185 volunteers, school groups, and members from nine communities.
The Bash was aptly named, as it was aiming to eradicate — or at least begin eradicating — the population of extremely invasive Himalayan balsam plants along the River Eden.
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As N&S reported, by removing 200,000 plants in the Bash, the Trust estimates that approximately 60 million plants will be prevented from germinating in 2025, making a significant dent on the continuation of the invasive species.
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"It is heartening to be able to take so many positives from the year despite the presence of this pervasive invasive annual plant," said Jenni Payne, an engagement and volunteer coordinator with the Trust. "We've been heartened by the support for this year's Big Balsam Bash from so many people who want to see the back of this pervasive, invasive annual plant.
"It has given us the opportunity to work alongside many of our wonderful communities … to help us reclaim our river banks."
Geographically invasive species like the balsam wreak havoc on their new surroundings, soaking up the water, sunlight, nutrients, and soil space meant for native plants. And while the native plants of river ecosystems like this one have deep, erosion-stabilizing roots, the Himalayan balsam's shallow roots lead to increased degradation of river banks.
It's why the Trust — and similar organizations around the world — are working intensively to nip these invasive plants in the bud and restore thriving native ecosystems, which are easier to maintain and support biodiversity.
While many of the invasive plants have to be safely disposed of to ensure they won't regrow, others can be collected and eaten. The same practice applies to invasive animals, like the Chesapeake's population of invasive snakeheads.
And because invasive species are excellent at reproducing, it's important to monitor what grows in your own backyard to prevent it from spreading to public lands.
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