The Scouring of the Shire

A little LOTR nod for any fans there. Today, we were scouring the Shire Brook for the ever-insidious Himalayan Balsam, an invasive species that overtakes and inhibits the natural flora and fauna of the area.

The Balsam itself is satisfyingly easy to pull and even more satisfying to crunch and snap! We did however have to contend with brambles and nettles to reach it. Super kudos to Celine who ran all the way from home and then battled the overgrowth in shorts and t-shirt!

We managed to clear some big patches, but we only covered one small stretch of the river. There will be further volunteer days for the next 4 Wednesdays (until July 13th) 10am-2pm to try and get on top of it before they go to seed. I won't list them all as community missions, but Goodgymmers would be more than welcome to join again!