Reed planting or removing invasive plants to boost biodiversity ๐ Green task with Clean Up River Brent
Improve riverside biodiversity by replacing the removed invasive plants with reeds and loosestrife
Reed planting or removing invasive plants to boost biodiversity ๐ Green task with Clean Up River Brent
Improve riverside biodiversity by replacing the removed invasive plants with reeds and loosestrife
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Getting there
For this session we're going to meet at the task, so you'll need to make your own way there. We encourage you to walk, run, or cycle to do so!
About this session
About
Clean Up River Brent (CURB), a volunteer group protecting the health of our local river, is organising a planting session with GoodGym Ealing! Not long ago, we teamed up with them for a balsam bash only to find out that the previous attempts to curb (pun intended) that invasive plant had been successful. Biodiversity : balsam - 1:0! To keep the momentum going, we will plant reeds funded by CURB on the river banks to replace the invasive plants with a better alternative for biodiversity.
โ๏ธ What is the task?
- Planting reeds and purple loosestrife
- Removing invasive species like Himalayan balsam
- Cutting back nettles and brambles
๐ Where?
- Brent Viaduct, London W13 0AL
- Google maps
- What3Words: brief.legal.cafe
๐งค Equipment
- CURB can provide gloves and wellies - please provide shoe size ahead of the session in the comments or message Kash if you are in the GG Ealing WhatsApp group
- There might be brambles and nettles. Please come with long-sleeved tops and preferably trousers.
โ๏ธ Safety information
- Risk: Strain on the back from pulling up balsam: flex the knees
- Risk: Hidden toxic hogweed among the balsam: gloves, long sleeves, trousers
- Risk: Slippery paths (depending on previous rainfall)
๐ป Facilities
- Nearest toilets: Pear Tree Bistro
This task supports
CURB was founded by Ben Morris in October 2021 in response to a significant pollution incident on the Lower Brent, and is part of a growing movement to regenerate the UKโs badly degraded rivers. CURB, working in association with Thames21, and together with local volunteers including LAGER Can has removed around 100 tonnes of rubbish from the river โ including over 500 car tyres โ has initiated an invasive species replacement programme, planting hundreds of reed and rush rhizomes, reports regularly to Thames Water and the Environment Agency on pollution, is building connections with other volunteer groups throughout the Brent Catchment, and is currently trialling a self-started network of water quality sensors with the support of the Environment Agency.
See moreWhat to look out for
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Location
Comments and questions
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If you have a question you would like to ask privately, you can email the GoodGym Ealing area activator, Kash, .