BP demonstrated its ongoing commitment to conservation and improving biodiversity on the river Dee last month, deploying a team of volunteers to tackle the ongoing challenge of invasive plant species on our riverbanks.
The team took to the banks of the river Dee at Middle Drum west of the city to remove Himalayan Balsam, a pretty but non-native invasive plant that spreads prolifically along the lower Dee.
Claire Fleming, Engagement Officer at the River Dee Trust commented: "The team from BP worked incredibly hard hand pulling Himalayan Balsam. It is actually very easy to remove because of its incredibly shallow root system. While this enables our volunteers to remove large areas of the plant, it is this root system that is detrimental to our riverbanks, offering no stability and making the riverbank susceptible to damage and erosion.
"The team’s efforts will reduce the spread of this invasive plant downstream, and come next year, we hope to see less growing back here and more of our native species starting to come through on the riverbanks.
"In the wooded area adjacent to the riverbank, we were also able to show the team other examples of invasive plant species including Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed. Both of which are being tackled by the Trust’s specialist Invasives team."
Himalayan Balsam crowds out many native plant species and explosive seed capsules it spreads very quickly. It is also very attractive to insects which has a negative impact on the pollination of native plants that better sustain wildlife.
If you would like to lean more about how your company can get involved in supporting the work of the River Dee Trust get in touch with contact claire@riverdee.org.