Volunteers from a number of organisations joined staff from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council for a ‘Balsam Bash’ at Oxford Island last week in an effort to curb an invasive species.
During the event, thousands of Himalayan Balsam plants were removed from the undergrowth at the nature reserve, as part of an ongoing campaign to control and eradicate the plant which has spread to many parts of Northern Ireland particularly in areas close to waterways, such as loughs and rivers.
Andy Griggs, who works as a Conservation Officer with ABC Council said the Balsam Bash was an important way of limiting the spread of the plant and also raising awareness of the damage it can cause to the environment and natural habitats.
“We have organised Balsam Bash events over the last number of years, and we can see the impact we have had on restricting the spread of the Himalayan Balsam. We hope that by continuing to remove these plants we can eventually eradicate it from Oxford Island,” said Andy.
“Himalayan balsam is a problematic plant. Although the flowers look pretty in the summertime, it competes with native plants for light, nutrients, pollinators and space, excluding other plants and reducing biodiversity. It dies back in the winter, leaving river banks bare and open to erosion.”
He added: “We would like to thank all the volunteers who came along today, including staff from the NI Environment Agency, AMEY Consultants, The Conservation Volunteers and the staff from ABC Council, who all came together to make this event a great success.”
Himalayan Balsam can grow up to 10ft in height and between June and October it produces clusters of purplish pink (or rarely white) helmet-shaped flowers. The flowers are followed by seed pods that open explosively when ripe.
To report or find out more information on Himalayan Balsam and other invasive species in Northern Ireland, you can visit www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/invasive-non-native-plants
