Volunteers needed for balsam bashing!

Himalayan balsam is a present nuisance in the Ullswater valley and in recent years volunteers from a number of agencies, working in co-operation with the Lake District National Park Authority, have had some success in dealing with the problem. 2007 saw probably the first decline in the spread of the weed in and around Glenridding and the LDNPA is rather hoping that with a big push, this year will see the problem almost completely resolved in this locality.

Have you seen this Alien ?

Himalayan balsam           (Impatiens glandulifera) is a relative of the houseplant commonly known as Busy Lizzie. It is known by a wide variety of common names, including Indian balsam, policeman's helmet and jumping jack. Growing to a height of more than 2 metres, it is the tallest annual flower in Britain, producing clusters of purplish pink helmet-shaped flowers. These are followed by seed pods that open explosively when ripe, shooting their seeds up to 7 metres away. Each plant can produce up to 2500 seeds. Whilst an attractive plant, it really has no other virtue and, where it now grows wild, is generally regarded as an alien invasive weed. Introduced to the UK in 1839, it is now naturalised, especially alongside water and increasingly in waste places.

Some of the areas affected

Preliminary surveying in the Glenridding area has shown some very promising signs as a result of last year's work, notably the very few plants this year occupying the north bank of the Glenridding Beck from the Gillside campsite upstream and the almost complete absence from the Mires Beck tributary. However there are still areas of widespread infestation that will need another big effort. This year supervised work will take place on Mondays and Fridays until late August.

As well as the Glenridding area, there is work to be done on the other side of the lake in the vicinity of Swarthbeck and along the lake shore southwest of the OBMS boathouse in Gowbarrow Bay . Although the latter is a fairly satisfying site to work on the priority must be to attack the infestations from the highest point up any watercourse that they have infected.

In Patterdale there is a serious infestation south of the Patterdale Hotel (in ground accessible from the car parking further-on south east at Grid Ref 3973 1582) and to the east, alongside watercourses that empty into the Goldrill Beck below the bridge to Rooking as well as on the east bank of the Goldrill Beck. Because there is not a lot of volunteer time available, National Park volunteers will turn to this area after the work in Glenridding. That may not be this year! So any other efforts in the Patterdale area will be very welcome.

Here is how you can help