BATTLING Himalyan Balsam in rivers - During the summer the Upper Onny Wildlife Group completed a survey of the upper part of the River Onny to find out the extent of an invasive plant called Himalayan Balsam and to try and remove it. The plant is found in the area between the Longmynd and Corndon hill. Rob Rowe from the Upper Onny Group explains the threat posed by the plant; he says, "Himalayan Balsam is a beautiful plant which was introduced by the Victorians. However it damages river systems as it takes over, completely smothering the banks, leaving them liable to more erosion when it dies back in the winter. Although only an annual it can easily grow three metres tall in a season. In the area we have looked at the river divides into the rivers East and West Onny and the good news is that the East Onny seems to be clear; however the West Onny is quite badly affected all the way from the source." Rob adds that teams of local volunteers were recruited earlier this year and a total of 40 man days were spent removing the balsam, pulling it out by hand. Not quite all could be removed and the seed is liable to germinate for three years so the wildlife group plans to carry on this work in the future and is hoping to secure funds for this. Rob Rowe concludes by saying, "In other parts of the country many river systems are completely overrun but hopefully we will have caught it here in time and will be able to control it with help of local volunteers and landowners."