Today, Bolton NEWT were in Leverhulme park running a Sunday family event. The weather was glorious and we were armed and ready to tackle the Himalayan Balsam. This plant was introduced into the UK by the victorians and unfortunately it has a knack of taking over and preventing native plants from flourishing. So the aim of today was to bash it and cut it back using slashers.
At least 7 new volunteers turned up to take part including 3 young people: Stanley, Ryan and Mackenzie. They relished using the slashers to chop away at the balsam.
This plant is hollow when cut and so when you walk across it, it pops and crunches and you get different pitches of sound, depending on the width and length of the stalk.
Thank you to everyone who contributed, we had all had great fun and what better way to spend a Sunday than tidying and clearing one of our local beauty spots. Oh and Stanley got a ride. I bet he wasn't expecting that!