Help wipe out Himalayan balsam along Eden’s rivers
This summer, we’re on a mission to tackle Himalayan balsam and busy recruiting ‘Balsam Bashers’ to join us at events around the Eden catchment throughout the summer months.
Himalayan balsam was introduced to the UK in 1839 as an ornamental garden plant but quickly escaped into the wild and is now a serious problem in an ecologically sensitive area such as the Eden catchment. It overshades and outcompetes our native plants and takes over large areas, leaving bare, exposed riverbanks at risk of erosion when it dies back in winter.
The good news? It’s really easy to pull up this plant and kill it before the seeds have a chance to spread. So why not get your community together, get balsam bashing and help ERT to banish the balsam from across the Eden river catchment.
Alastair Penny, Invasive Non-Native Species Officer at ERT said:
“We’re working in partnership with local communities to remove this invasive from riverbanks and they’ve been amazing but because its seeds spread so easily along our watercourses, the problem needs to be tackled from the source of Eden’s rivers to the sea. To achieve this, we need lots of extra Balsam Bashers to join the fight in 2025.
“It’s simple to remove this shallow rooted invader, always a lot of fun working with Eden’s wonderful communities and everybody can join in!”
How can you help us?
- REGISTER TO JOIN AN EVENT NEAR YOU Join one of our Balsam Bashing events near you. We’ve listed every event taking place over the summer so do visit our volunteer page and register for any of the days you’d like to come along to.
- DOWNLOAD FREE INNS MAPPER APP Tell us where Himalayan balsam is lurking. Download the free INNS Mapper phone app from your app store, then, simply record where you see Himalayan balsam (or any other invasive, non-native species) when you’re out and about.
- READ OUR GUIDE TO BALSAM BASHING When walking the dog or out enjoying some time by the river, help out by pulling out a few plants as you go. Download our handy guide to bashing balsam to find out how to do it.
- DOWNLOAD AND SHARE OUR POSTER Share our Big Balsam Bash 2025 poster and let people know about events taking place across the Eden catchment.
