Today we had to tackle the "alien" species in this nature reserve (Himalayan Balsam and Japenese Knotweed) and maintain the paths through weeding and cutting back of trees and shrubs.
We split into two main groups, and I helped clear the Balsam from the pond, of which there was very little actually. There were a handful of points within the whole site where the Balsam was well established, however, and most of my day was spent uprooting the stuff. Its a pretty easy job, as the weed is very shallow rooting, and we soon amassed great piles of it. It will be interesting to return to see how well we have managed to limit its spread. It's certainly an annual job at this site though.
By the end of the day, the relatively large volunteer workforce had really made a difference here. The paths, overgrown at the start, were clear along the full length of the reserve, and hopefully the less noticeable changes where all the Balsam and Knotweed had been removed will be much appreciated by our native species.