Big Dee Day - The Invasion

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RachelMC
Posts: 460
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 1:04 pm
Location: Chester

Big Dee Day - The Invasion

Post by RachelMC »

Big Dee Day – The Invasion – 28 and 29 June

Following on from the success of the annual Big Dee Day river clean-up, a new event will be held this year to tackle invasive non-native plants and animals, such as Japanese Knotweed, Himalayan Balsam and Chinese Mitten Crab.

This new event, The Big Dee Day – The Invasion, will be held on 28 and 29 June. It will be the first ever coordinated event to control these alien invaders across the Dee catchment, from the river’s source in Snowdonia National Park right through to its estuary.

The event is open to everyone across the area to come and help eradicate invasive non-native species from the River Dee and its tributaries and to record infested areas. The species that will be tackled are alien species, brought to the UK either accidentally or intentionally, which can cause big problems for our native wildlife, as well as having other effects such as making river banks more prone to erosion, which can lead to flooding.

A partnership of Welsh and English organisations including local authority Countryside Services, Snowdonia National Park Authority, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Environment Agency and Environment Agency Wales, Wildlife Trusts, Chester Zoo and the Countryside Council for Wales are involved in organising the event.

Richard Lucas of the Welsh Dee Trust, who is also involved in the event, said:

“Over the past few years, we have been one of the organisations involved in tackling invasive species in the Dee catchment. We have worked with volunteers from various angling clubs, Keep Wales Tidy, and other voluntary bodies, but would like to invite more members of the public and voluntary groups to get involved by registering their interest in taking part in the Big Dee Day – the Invasion by visiting: http://www.bionetwales.co.uk.”

If you or your group would like to get stuck in with balsam bashing or knotweed whacking, or if you fancy spying on the alien invaders and recording their locations then keep the dates in your diary and look out for further information in your local press closer to the time.

Contact details for local coordinators:

Chester: Lyn Byrne 07971052162 lbyrne@cheshirewt.org.uk
Denbighshire: Lizzy Webster 01824 708263 elizabeth.webster@denbighshire.gov.uk
Flintshire: Amy Green 01352 703263 amy.e.green@flintshire.gov.uk
Snowdonia National Park: Gethin Davies 01766 772515 g.davies@eryri-npa.gov.uk
Wrexham: Emma Broad 01978 298762 emma.broad@wrexham.gov.uk

Last edited by RachelMC on Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
RachelMC
Posts: 460
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 1:04 pm
Location: Chester

Re: Big Dee Day Invasion

Post by RachelMC »

Big Dee Day - THE INVASION

Controlling, recording and raising awareness about invasive species across the River Dee catchment.

Farndon picnic area (next to the bridge)
Friday 28th June and Saturday 29th June, 10:00am to 3:00pm

Cheshire Wildlife Trust, RECORD, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Chester Zoo
Invite you to come and and help us remove invasive Himalayan Balsam from the banks of the River Dee and learn how to identify and record other invasive alien species.

To book please phone: 01244 383749
or email: actnow@actforwildlife.org.uk with subject "Big Dee Day"

There are other organised events at Llangollen and Corwen.
See the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BigDeeDayTheInvasion

N.B.: Friends of the Meadows in Chester are also hoping to organise the removal of Himalayan Balsam at Heronbridge. Contact Rachel Cross for details email: rachelm.cross@btinternet.com



NB Threads combined by RachelMC
RachelMC
Posts: 460
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 1:04 pm
Location: Chester

Re: Big Dee Day - The Invasion

Post by RachelMC »

On the Saturday (29th June 2013) just two of us from the Friends of the Meadows group in Chester walked up river from Handbridge towards Heronbridge to pull the Himalayan Balsam we knew was there.

On the way, we encountered several other patches of Himalayan Balsam along the river and took the time to pull this, which involved some scrambling down the river bank! We also had four nosey horses come over to have a look and help with the trampling down!

After a couple of hours, we managed to move on towards the Heronbridge site, which is a larger, damp and boggy area beneath the sandstone face just above the river bank. The scale of the problem was much bigger than we had anticipated, but we managed to do what we could before time and physical ability ran out! There is still some left to deal with, but perhaps on another day ...... We need more volunteers!

Rachel

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