Canoeists help clear the dreaded weed strangling a riverbank

USERS of the Camel Trail must have thought that members of Wadebridge Canoe Club had lost the environmental plot during their endeavours to tackle the invasive weed Himalayan Balsam.

Paddlers roved the banks of the Camel, pulling and chopping the pretty pink flowers, flinging them on top of other riverside undergrowth to dry out and prevent them rerooting.

Canoeists were able to paddle downstream and reach areas inaccessible on foot.

Their accomplishments were rewarded by a blazing hot day which made it less arduous to get wet, muddy, scratched and stung.

Debs Marshall from the club said: "We would like to thank the Invasive Weeds Project of the Westcountry Rivers Trust, for its full support, their sound advice was taken and all necessary permissions sought.

"Himalayan Balsam, as its name suggests, originated in the mountainous regions of central Asia and was introduced to gardens here in 1839. In the Victorian era there was a great passion for travelling to collect interesting plant species from overseas and by the end of the 19th century this plant had become widely naturalised. It is an aggressive annual plant of rivers and wet grasslands and it is its amazing ability to spread that makes it so successful.

"It can totally dominate an area to the virtual exclusion of all other flowering plants and contributes to the erosion of river banks.

"Wadebridge Canoe Club, which soon enters its second year, is enthusiastic about working with local agencies in contributing to its local community and environment and caring for the wonderful landscapes and habitats of the Camel estuary that we and other users all enjoy." Anyone interested in joining the club, which meets regularly on Tuesday evenings in addition to other paddling events throughout the year, can visit www.ccak.co.uk or phone 01208 895151 for further information.