Avon River Champions, Devon Wildlife Trust, South Devon Nature Trust, The Woodland Trust, Force4Nature, Wild About Loddiswell and other local conservation groups have been discussing how we might work together to control the Himalayan Balsam that has become very prevalent in the Avon Valley (also other invasive species: Japanese knotweed and skunk cabbage).

Volunteers have been working on the upper reaches of the River Avon in recent years with some impressive results.

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​We will be mapping where these invasive weeds are to be found - if anyone would like to contribute to this map please let us know.

We will take a step by step approach and target selected sites first. We have been running training sessions for volunteers at a site near Loddiswell during March, April and May this year. Training is important because if the plants are not identified, pulled or cut correctly or at the wrong time, there is a danger we will do more harm than good.  Future training and "pulling" days will be posted on this page.

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​​​​​It will take two or three years to make a significant difference because Himalayan Balsam is an annual, so will spring up from seed again the following year. The seeds only have a life of about three years in the soil, so if seeding is prevented for two or three years we will make a real impact on halting its spread.

Research and trials are being conducted into a biological control, but it will be a few years down the line before it becomes widely available and would need to be used alongside the physical pulling and cutting, however it does give us some optimism for the future.

We will be organising working parties - if you would like to participate in this very worthwhile project and join a team to cover our section of the river, please email me.

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Provisional dates for next training/pulling sessions: 28th May 2025 and 7th June 2025, more information will be posted shortly..

photos: Devon Wildlife Trust & Liz Montague

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