Crews battle alien invasion near national space centre

25 June 2010

Photo Opportunity

Occasion: Volunteers from Leicester City Council, the Environment Agency and British Waterways will be removing the invasive weed Floating Pennywort from the River Soar in Leicester.
Location: Corporation Road, Leicester
Date: 10.00am, Wednesday 30th June
Contact: Stephen Hardy, Marketing & Communications Manager, 07920 077190 or stephen.hardy@britishwaterways.co.uk
Suzannah Atkey, Marketing & Communications Executive, 07771 379389 or suzannah.atkey@britishwaterways.co.uk

A team of intrepid volunteers is set to tackle alien invaders living in the shadow of the National Space Centre in Leicester.

The team of volunteers from British Waterways, Leicester City Council and the Environment Agency will be taking to the river on 29th and 30th June to physically remove non-native plants that can choke waterways and suffocate native plant species.

In particular the volunteers will be working near Belgrave Lock to target the non-native weed Floating Pennywort which, if left unchecked, can block rivers and canals restricting boating and angling and presenting serious problems for waterway wildlife.

The highly invasive plant was introduced into the UK in the 1980s by the aquatic nursery trade and has since found its way onto parts of the inland waterways network. With growth potential of up to 20cm per day and the ability to regenerate from the smallest fragment, control of the weed can be difficult and expensive and the Environment Agency, British Waterways and Leicester City Council have combined resources in recent years to ensure a more effective approach to its management. As a result the three agencies have been able to remove over 6000 tonnes of the weed from the Soar since April 2007.

This year the volunteers will have access to a fleet of new boats that will enable them to reach areas both on the river and the adjacent backwaters that they couldn’t previously get to which, due to the plant’s rapid growth, is an important tool in the battle to prevent further spread.

The two day blitz will also tackle species such as Himalayan Balsam which also grows incredibly quickly on river and canal banks, spreading hundreds of seeds and outcompeting native vegetation.

Richard Bennett, British Waterways’ Senior Ecologist said; “Non-native plants not only have the potential to restrict our enjoyment of the waterways but can also be incredibly damaging both to native species and to property.

“We’ve had great success in previous years restricting the spread of Floating Pennywort in the Leicester area but it’s an ongoing issue and it’s vital that we continue that effort to help make the river more accessible both to people and waterway wildlife”.

ENDS

Media enquiries: Stephen Hardy, Communications Manager on 01636 675703 or 07920 077190 or Suzannah Atkey, Marketing & Communications Executive on 01636 675773 or 07771 379389

EDITORS NOTES
British Waterways cares for Britain’s 200-year old network of historic canals, rivers and docks, which attract over 13 million people each year for walking, cycling, angling, boating or simply the peace and quiet. We wish to establish a ‘national trust’ for the waterways in order to secure the network for future generations and to give local people a greater say in how they are run. www.britishwaterways.co.uk