Balsam Battalion forward!

 

Enthusiasts of stinging nettles would find the Warren Road end of the boardwalk across the main Common very much to their taste at this time of year, for it is at that extreme termination of the wonderful winding path through the reeds and grassy fen that Urtica dioica flourishes. It’s not clear to me at least why it grows so strongly just there, right along the edges of the boardwalk, ready to be a literal pain to people with legs more attractive than mine, and thus likely to be uncovered in this exceptionally warm weather. (That’s not to say the legs belonging to your usual correspondent are unattractive; it’s just that the attraction extends no further than the various biting and stinging creatures lurking about what is, let’s face it, a nature reserve – and so those legs must, from necessity, remain clothed.)

“What on earth is he wittering on about?” I hear our faithful reader cry. It’s just this: on another blisteringly hot day (which presumably explains the astonishingly painful blister on my thumb caused by over-enthusiastic boardwalk brushing) 14 volunteers turned out for another couple of hours of penance – for which sins we must forever remain in ignorance. As was the case last time, one of the tasks of the day was to trim back the vegetation encroaching on the boardwalk edges, making progress along that highway difficult, and in the case of the nettly end, potentially painful. And we did it! With great aplomb Brush Cutter operators Noel and Kevin, backed up by broom, rake, pitchfork and lopper operators John, John, Louise, Julie, Carolyn and your own correspondent, completed the trimming along one edge of the entire length of the boardwalk – including those pesky nettles.

While we were enjoying that, the Balsam Battalion forced their way into the undergrowth to haul out by the roots as many Himalayan Balsam plants as they could lay their hands on. This was not without incident, at least for Team Leader Margaret, who reportedly had some sort of disrobing turn, followed by falling face first in the vicinity of a wasps’ nest (getting a sting or two in the process), and then wading into Fox’s Beck only to discover it came up above the top of her Wellies. A certain amount of hilarity amongst her otherwise sympathetic and supportive colleagues was occasioned.

Balsam Bashers like to boast of the enormous heights to which these invasive plants grow, and since there is such a lot of fake news about, we must insist on photographic evidence, so here’s some:

Despite the stifling jungle-like heat and humidity, there’s still some satisfaction to be had from the way the stems go “thwock” when you break them: serves them right!

An hour in, there was of course the usual very welcome break for refreshments, in the cool shade beside our tool store.

These breaks are well named, for they seem to break your usual correspondent's concentration - much like a test match batsman losing his wicket straight after tea. It happened last time, when I reported that I "could not find my bits". This time I had forgotten where Noel and I had hidden our tools in case they were purloined in our absence. A lot of walking up and down the boardwalk (particularly the shady bits) was necessary before I had to give in and ask Noel where we had left them. He was good enough to tell me, meaning I had to leave the shady bits and go back to brushing in the broiling sunshine. I was suitably grateful, of course.

Strolling back along the boardwalk at the end of another gruelling session, it was pleasant to pause in the cool of the bridge over Fox’s Beck. This stream is wonderful – it never dries out and is always crystal clear. It was tempting to lie down in it today!!

Here is Team Leader Margaret’s message of thanks for today’s work:

Hello all.

Whenever it is my turn to write these thank you messages I always feel they are so inadequate as a means of thanking you all for your hard work. !4 crazy folk braved heat, wasps, streams and trip hazards. Thanks to their hard work we can all now pass more freely down the boardwalk, much appreciated by walkers, dogs and pushchair occupants. We also took battle to the Himalayan balsam. Having been pulling the stuff for 18 years I can say that the area we were working today is less heavily infested than it used to be, so the task is worthwhile.

So thank you all very much for your help and support.

 In two weeks’ time we start the cutting programme and work will commence on the Warren Rd side of the beck. Before that I invite those who are able, willing or just plain daft, to another balsam bash on Thursday 4th August 9.00 start. Meet at the Warren Road side bench. Long sleeves and long trousers are essential.

Thanks again, enjoy your well-earned rest and see you all soon.

Margaret for the team leaders.

 And finally,

A couple of the Team Leaders recently met Aaron, a botanical expert from NWT, to look at the wildflower plot started last year at Pit Common. Between them they found sulphur clover, oxeye daisy, Knapweed, wild carrot and yellow rattle. It’s gratifying to see such good progress already. On a gloomier note, the extent to which invasive Crassula is carpeting the exposed bed of the pond is alarming; the more so because successfully and permanently removing it is so difficult.