The Friends of Hell Wath and supporters have been pulling together for years to tackle an overbearing foreign invader at the Ripon nature reserve.
But many volunteer hands are still needed, if they are to win the battle by bashing the pervasive Himalayan balsam plants into submission.
Over the years, balsam has spread across a third of the site, putting a stranglehold on some areas and harming the growth of native species crucial to the biodiversity of the reserve.
FOHW secretary Jeremy Dunford told the Stray Ferret:
“Because Himalayan Balsam is so abundant, bees stick around feasting on the plentiful supply of nectar that it provides, meaning that these vital pollinators are not properly serving the needs of other plant species.
“This creates an imbalance, as it limits the variety of plants such as meadow flowers, that can add greatly to the biodiversity of the site.”
Among those involved in clearing the site of Himalayan Balsam are Nabil Abbas, manager of the Skell Valley Project and FOHW member Karyn Lees.
Last week, the army of tireless volunteers, who have been manually tearing up the balsam, received a helping hand from the scientific community.
Scientific help
After seeking assistance for two years, FOHW discovered that their call for help was being answered with the introduction of a natural fungal rust developed by the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, experts in biological control and fighting Himalayan balsam with fungal pathogens.
The fungus option, which weakens the plant by infecting its stem and leaves throughout the growing season, only infects Himalayan balsam and does not pose a risk to other species.
Not so pretty in pink — the Himalayan Balsam that has invaded Hell Wath Nature Reserve
Mr Dunford said:
“We were absolutely delighted to be selected as one of the UK’s trial sites and hope that it will lead to a long-term solution that helps us in the work that we are doing here, alongside the Skell Valley Project, whose expertise is invaluable.
“However, while we wait with keen anticipation to witness the effects that the fungal rust has on selected areas of the reserve, we still need as many people as possible, to assist us with the seemingly unending task of pulling and snapping the balsam and stamping on its roots.”
Volunteer assistance
The friends, who can be contacted by clicking this link, have received assistance from 5th Ripon Brownies, young soldiers from the Harrogate Army Foundation and staff from major local employer Wolseley and visitors, who are encouraged to pull, snap and stamp on as many Himalayan balsam plants as possible when visiting the reserve.
Once pulled, the destroyed plants should be left at the side of the paths for collection and all people involved in this mass removal operation are advised to wear gloves, as the plants are often found alongside nettles, which should be left in situ.
Nabil Abbas, manager of the Skell Valley Project, has been providing help, guidance and practical assistance to FOHW.
He said:
“You realise the scale of the task when you see how much of the Hell Wath site has been overrun by the Himalayan Balsam.
“But nature has a remarkable way of bouncing back and it is great to see how the friends and other volunteers are working together to reclaim the area so that native species can flourish once more.”
Community volunteers from Wolseley, have been involved in the huge clearance programme. Picture: Skell Valley Project
Karyn Lees, a member of FOHW, who is literally getting to the root of the reserve’s balsam problem, said:
“Once you start it becomes addictive, as you realise with each plant pulled up and destroyed, you are helping the native species to thrive.”
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Fungus released in Ripon nature reserve to kill alien plant
A new rust fungus has been released at Hell Wath Local Nature Reserve in Ripon to help tackle Himalayan balsam.
Himalayan balsam was first introduced into the UK in 1839 as an ornamental plant but has since become a real problem. It colonises river banks, waste ground and damp woodlands, successfully competing with native plants and reducing biodiversity.
Harrogate Borough Council joined forces with the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), experts in biological control and fighting Himalayan balsam with fungal pathogens.
The council said that until recently, the main way to tackle it has been ‘balsam bashing’ which involved pulling it up by hand but this is only temporarily effective.
The fungus option followed years of research by CABI scientists and showed that it only infects Himalayan balsam and does not pose a risk to other species.
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The rust fungus won’t completely kill off the balsam but it makes the plant less competitive. It infects the stem and leaves throughout the growing season.
Councillor Sam Gibbs, HBC’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:
“This is yet another practical solution to help tackle non-native species, following our trial to release Crassula mites at Rossett Nature Reserve in Harrogate to tackle New Zealand Pygmyweed.
“Himalayan balsam is invasive and to tackle it involves lots of hard work, often carried out by volunteers. By using this ‘bio-superhero’ we have less of an onerous task in the future.”
Dr Sonal Varia, project scientist at CABI’s laboratories, said:
“Himalayan balsam has rapidly become one of the UK’s most invasive weed species affecting biodiversity and beauty spots – such as Hell Wath Local Nature Reserve – and traditional methods of control alone are inadequate.
“Results from releases elsewhere in the UK suggest that the rust can perform well under our climate. It adapts to local climatic conditions and spreads from the initial area of release without having a negative impact on other species.
“Good leaf infection is frequently observed in the summer and the rust is able to survive the winter and establish populations in stands of Himalayan balsam the following year.”
Burton Leonard residents ‘about to erupt’ over housing development
Residents in Burton Leonard are “about to erupt” over a housing development which they say has breached planning conditions around the invasive plant Himalayan balsam.
Chartford Homes has planning permission to build 31 homes at Flats House in the village but an ecology report found there is an infestation of the plant on the site. Himalayan balsam is infamous for its impact on the environment and its explosive seed heads spread very easily.
According to Harrogate Borough Council planning documents, there is a condition attached to the development that says there must be an exclusion zone to remove the plant before construction can begin.
However, Keith Townson from Burton Leonard Parish Council told the Stray Ferret that construction workers were ignoring this for weeks and potentially spreading Himalayan balsam around the village.
Mr Townson said HBC’s planning enforcement department has been “as much use a chocolate fireguard” and called on them to pause the development until the problem is dealt with.
He said:
“Once you know there’s an invested area you have to fence it off but they’ve had trucks and land rovers through it. We’re worried it will spread all over the village. They were supposed to have a tyre washing but they’ve not got that in place either.
“It’s disgraceful. Harrogate Borough Council is allowing the developers to ride roughshod over planning conditions.”
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Harrogate Borough Council said: “We have attended the site, spoken to the developers and the parish council and can confirm there are no further issues at this time.”
Chartford Homes declined to make a comment when asked by the Stray Ferret.
Alien plant puts Nidderdale beauty spots under threatNidderdale’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is under threat from an invasive Himalayan plant.
Those that look after the beauty spots have tried to keep them under control but have now appealed to the public to help cut them back.
Himalayan balsam is infamous for its impact on the health of river banks and wildlife. Its explosive seed heads spread very easily.
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The plant overshadows native plant species and causes widespread erosion of river and canal banks. It leads to flooding and the suffocation of fish eggs.
Iain Mann, Nidderdale AONB manager, said:
“We have a dedicated team of consultants, contractors and volunteers surveying and removing the offending plant. It may just seem like a plant but biosecurity is important to protect against the invasion and needs to be taken seriously.”
Nidderdale’s AONB team is working on three water bodies in Upper Nidderdale to remove the plants. It is part of a healthy rivers project, funded by a European Union grant.
Himalayan balsam has large, pink flowers shaped like a bonnet. Photo: Elizabeth Bishop
The public can notify the team of Himalayan balsam on a national database through the plant tracker app that can be found here.
Although people can remove them if it is on their property it may be best to leave the plant to the experts as it could spread further if done incorrectly.