River Alyn Himalayan Balsam Action Project (Flintshire/Denbighshire)

River Alyn Himalayan Balsam Action Project(Flintshire/Denbighshire) Friday 17 February 2012 Conference: Management of Invasive Weeds in the Dee Catchment Sarah Slater, Biodiversity Officer FCC Lizzy Webster, Biodiversity Officer DCC

Location Map

How it all started…. • In 2008 Flintshire County Council was alerted to the relatively sudden increase in Himalayan balsam along the river Alyn. • A meeting between key stakeholders was organised to discuss the problem and a way forward.

The catchment Friends of Rhydymwyn valley Rhydymwyn Valley NEWW/Defra Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) European Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Loggerheads CP NWWT/DCS Friends of Alyn Valley Llanferres conservation group 58km Limestone escarpments and hills, farmland and wooded valleys Otter Cacwyn brook working group

Partners Project partners; • Denbighshire County Council • Flintshire County Council • Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB • CCW • EA • North Wales Wildlife Trust • North East Wales Wildlife • Local community/conservation groups; the Friends of Alyn Valley Woods, the Friends of Rhydymwyn Valley, Llanferres Conservation Group • Keep Wales Tidy • Local fishing clubs

Project Objectives • Establish the extent of Himalayan balsam colonisation along the Alyn valley • Undertake a control programme along the river working from the top of the catchment downstream • Raise awareness about the issues surrounding Himalayan balsam • Monitor the success of the project and produce GIS layers to inform future work

First steps: • Target the upper Alyn • Limited seed bank • Initial survey • River split into manageable sections • Survey : before winter dieback

First steps: • Basic survey guidelines to ensure a standardised approach by all partners • Annotated maps highlighting dense, very dense or patchy stands of balsam

Action • Contractor work • Events Corporate team building days Local community groups Volunteer days Public events • Informal pulling

Funding • Initially project gained small amounts of funding from various sources • Project attracted substantial funding from the Environment Agency which was match funded with volunteer time • Future funding: demonstrate negative impact of Himalayan balsam on the designated site

Funding * Hours spent on the project by staff and volunteers ** Hours costed at £20phr for professionals and £6.25phr for volunteers *** Figures still being compiled for the latest control season

Awareness • Events: 2009 Action week Feedback: event organisers didn’t feel part of a week of action/bigger event, concern it gave the impression that Himalayan balsam should only be pulled in that week, not throughout the year • Events: 2010/11 event to launch the pulling season, followed by a light buffet for all volunteers • Displays: 2 banner displays available to loan out. Taken to events throughout Denbighshire and Flintshire.

Awareness

Challenges • Identifying landowners • Encouraging landowner responsibility • Long term sustainability of project • Monitoring

What would we do differently? • Timing of initial surveys • Increased consideration into monitoring at the early stages • Increased use of photos and GIS

The future • Landscape scale project • Another year of control • Biological control • An exit strategy

Plus: individuals, local fishing clubs, local community and conservation groups

River Alyn Himalayan Balsam Action Project (Flintshire/Denbighshire)