Previous highlights

Invasive Species Week 2023

From the 15^th to 21^st May 2023, over 260 organisations across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man took part in Invasive Species Week.

Infographic showing the highlights of Invasive Species Week which are listed in the text below

Seventy-three events were held including a fantastic 39 management sessions to tackle 8 species, many with the help of volunteers. Read updates from some of the organisations involved and find out more about volunteering with a Local Action Group.

Twelve webinars were held online on topics ranging from tracking invasive predators and removing floating pennywort, to the impacts of invasive non-native species on the island of Montserrat and the use of biosecurity dogs to help protect endangered seabirds on islands. Watch NNSS webinar recordings.

Some organisations launched new or updated materials during the week, including OATA’s relaunched Biosecurity Risk Assessment Tool & Guide to help aquatic retailers improve their biosecurity, and the Wye Invasive Species Project’s Balsam Action Toolkit to help Local Action Groups tackle Himalayan balsam.

A world premiere took place, with the launch of Alchemilla mollis – the animation, from Teesdale School and 1^st Middleton-in Teesdale Scouts.

On Twitter (external link) 42 blogs and articles were shared, along with 42 videos, and 62 tweets from the official GB Invasive Species Week account (external link) reached over 94,000 timelines and received 13,000 video views.

To complete the week the BSBI held an invasive non-native plant themed #WildflowerHour (external link) challenge online on Sunday evening.

Thank you to everyone involved for a fantastic week!

Find out more

Updates from some of the participating organisations

Other activities and resources

Updates from some of the participating organisations

The Angling Trust and British Canoeing

Thursday 18^th May: Voluntary Floating Pennywort Removal – River Lea Navigation

Anglers & Paddlers united once again to clean up our waterways in removing the Invasive Non-Native plant species, floating pennywort. This species poses a huge risk to our aquatic eco-systems and the consistent hard work from Angling & Paddling clubs has prevented loss of recreational activities ensuring our waterways remain accessible.

The day was a huge success and very enjoyable with nearly 40 volunteers signed up. We worked strategically downstream, covering 1.5 miles of River whilst removing every bit of Floating Pennywort from fragments to huge raft-like mats. It was great to see volunteers from organisations such as, Thames Water, Environment Agency, and The Canal & Rivers Trust. Over 1Tonne of Floating Pennywort was removed from the river, and majority of the material was collected by CABI who transported the FP back to their laboratory to feed their Weevils for their ongoing “Biocontrol” trial.

As always, Biosecurity is paramount any time you are on the water. We always ensure volunteers arrive and leave with clean & dry equipment which will prevent the spread of other Invasive Non-Native Species as well as fish disease and pathogens.

Four people are standing on a riverbank using rakes to remove clumps of green plants from the water. Six canoes with people in are in the water looking for more of the plants

Volunteers helping to remove floating pennywort from the bank while paddlers collect it from the water. Image: Angling Trust

31 volunteers stand in a group wearing red life jackets. Some are carrying paddles.

Volunteers at the washdown station used to ensure that no floating pennywort was spread elsewhere after the event. Image: Angling Trust

New Forest Non-native Plants Project

The New Forest Non-native Plants Project had a busy Invasive Species Week:

Monday: leading a balsam pull, the first volunteer work party of the season.
Tuesday: visiting 11 garden centres in the New Forest area to share Be Plant Wise materials.
Wednesday: recording American skunk cabbage along the Fleet Water, monitoring the results of work undertaken in 2022 to control yellow azalea, and recording rhododendron.
Thursday and Friday: leading balsam pulls along the Cadham River.

A woman with red curly hair stands in front of a group of plants in a garden centre holding a poster that reads 'Be Plant Wise'

Staff at the garden centres were pleased to take and display Be Plant Wise information. Image: New Forest Non-native Plants Project

A group of five volunteers stand in a woodland holding handfuls of green Himalayan balsam plants that they have removed

Volunteers helping to pull balsam. Image: New Forest Non-native Plants Project

Tyne Rivers Trust

Tyne Rivers Trust carried out treatment of 150m² of giant hogweed and 100m² of Japanese knotweed. They ran a pop-up information stand where they met the local volunteer team and useful contacts from other organisations, making plans to work together in future.

seven people stand infront of a table in a park. A gazebo over the table reads: Tyne RIvers Trust, working together to manage and improve our river

Visitors to the awareness raising stand. Image: Tyne Rivers Trust

Bristol Zoo

On Friday 19^th May Bristol Zoo ran an information stand at Chew Valley Lake, a Bristol Water AQUA accredited site. Over four hours they spoke to around 50 anglers about INNS and biosecurity and handed out awareness raising materials. The following day they led a biosecurity demonstration and information session at Channel Kayaks in Bath, where they spoke to around 40 paddlers, gave washdown and Check Clean Dry demonstrations, handed out stickers and phone cases, and presented Channel Kayaks with their Bronze AQUA award.

Three people stand in front of a lake with a table infront of them displaying awareness raising leaflets about invasive non-native species. The man in the centre of the photo is holding an AQUA award, a small turquoise circular plaque with a gold coloured rim.

Presenting the AQUA award to Channel Kayaks for their onsite biosecurity measures. Image: Bristol Zoo.

South West Invasive Species Forum

The sixth annual South West Invasive Species Forum hosted by South West Water and South West Lakes Trust took place at Roadford Lake on Tuesday 16^th May. Attendees enjoyed talks on mink, grey squirrels, crayfish conservation and more.

A large group of people stand on grass infront of a lake

Attendees at the South West Invasive Species Forum: Image South West Water

Wye Invasive Species Project

The Wye Invasive Species Project (external link) re-launched their Balsam Action Toolkit (B.A.T) in English and Welsh, providing all the support that individuals and community groups might need to get this pest plant under control.

The B.A.T is a free resource consisting of info. guides and working documents to help users identify balsam at various growing stages, answer critical questions, help rally support and set up an action group, map and report balsam, and plan and run successful and safe events. Posters, risk assessments, route maps, kit lists, log sheets, consent forms.. it's all in there!

Ultimately the B.A.T is here to free up more of your time so you can get outside and get pulling. And, given the speed of spread of this plant across lowland Britain, we really want to see the B.A.T being utilised far and wide.

Download a digital version (external link) and contact Nickie for hard copy versions.

Events

Monday 15th May

Webinar: Rabbits; the good, the bad and the ugly. Devon Invasive Species Initiative.
Webinar: Removing floating pennywort on the Lee Navigation. With British Canoeing.
Webinar: Tracking invasive predators in Orkney, with the Orkney Native Wildlife Project.
Management: Giant hogweed spraying, Mersey Rivers Trust
Awareness raising: pop up information stand at Glenveagh National Park, Ireland
Management: Natural England volunteers removing pacific oysters from Ramsgate Western Undercliffe
Management: Volunteer control day at Bertha Park with Perth and Kinross Climate Action
Management: Rogue River Cleanup to remove invasive weeds
Management: Himalayan balsam bash, New Forest Non-native Plants Project

Tuesday 16th May

Event: South West Invasive Species Forum 6. With South West Lakes Trust and South West Water, at Roadford Reservoir, Devon.
Webinar: Non-native plants in the BSBI Plant Atlas 2020. Hosted by the NNSS.
Management: Himalayan balsam removal event with Tyne Rivers Trust at Derwenthaugh Park.
Webinar: Removing floating pennywort on the Lee Navigation. With British Canoeing.
Management: Giant hogweed spraying with volunteers. With Tees Rivers Trust.
Management: Bolin river bank management, Cheshire East
Management: Environment Agency Anglia officers out controlling floating pennywort and removing Himalayan balsam in St Ives
Monitoring: North Wales Wildlife Trust Shoresearch volunteers carrying out surveys for invasive marine species
Awareness raising: visiting local garden centres and nurseries to promote Be Plant Wise, New Forest Non-native Plants Project
Launch: OATA launched their revamped Biosecurity Risk Assessment Tool & Guide
Management: Parc Calon Lan balsam bash with the Cwn Taf Nature Network

Wednesday 17th May

Management: Sour fig removal. With the Guernsey Conservation Volunteers, between Fort Doyle and Beaucette Marina, Guernsey.
Webinar: Shrew and me: the rise of the greater white-toothed shrew. With the Mammal Society.
Webinar: Invasive non-native species on the island of Montserrat. Hosted by the NNSS.
Monitoring: Chelmer Canal Trust group site visit
Management: Mersey Rivers Trust balsam bash
Management: Himalayan balsam bash at Bothwell Castle
Monitoring: recording non-native plants, New Forest Non-native Plants Project
Management: Ogmore Washeries balsam bash with the Cwn Taf Nature Network

Thursday 18th May

Webinar: The invasive invasion - are our homes being overtaken? With the Property Care Association.
Webinar: Greater white-toothed shrew. Hosted by the NNSS.
Management: Floating pennywort removal event with British Canoeing, the Angling Trust, and Environment Agency at the Canal & River Trust in Enfield Lock.
Management: Rhododendron management day with WaREN, NWREPP and Action Asylum, in Mold, Wales.
Management: Himalayan balsam removal event. With Tees Rivers Trust, in Darlington.
Management: Floating pennywort clearance with the Medway Valley Countryside Partnership and volunteers.
Management: INNS talk and Balsam bash with UWE
Management: Balsam bash, Medway Valley Countryside Partnership
Management: Balsam bash, Mersey Rivers Trust
Event: Rootwave demonstration with Shropshire Wildlife Trust
Event: Biosecurity for LIFE activity trail on Mousa
Monitoring: Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels project officer and volunteers monitoring for red squirrels
Monitoring: Newcastle University students monitoring for marine non-native species on Lindisfarne through the LIFE WADER project
Training: Natural England staff being trained in marine invasive non-native species identification by BAM UK
Management: Balsam pull on the Cadham River, New Forest Non-native Plants Project

Friday 19th May

Webinar: Jinx the biosecurity dog, with RSPB.
Webinar: Biosecurity for LIFE. Hosted by the NNSS.
Training: Free grey squirrel impact assessment in-person training. With the UK Squirrel Accord, in The National Forest.
Awareness raising: INNS and biosecurity stand at Chew Valley Lake, Bristol Zoo
Awareness raising: National River Watch, Essex Wildlife Trust
Management: Balsam bash, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and the Angling Trust
Management: Volunteering workshop, Keep Britain Tidy
Management: Environment Agency Anglia staff removing monkey flower from the River Burn in North Norfolk and met with the pennywort action group to discuss work on the Chelmer and Black Water navigation
Management: River Stewardship Co spraying giant hogweed along the River Swale
Management: Spey Fishery Board managing invasive plants
Management: Scottish Invasive Species Initiative volunteers setting up mink traps and controlling invasive plants
Management: Himalayan balsam removal on the River Rom with Thames 21
Management: Himalayan balsam pulling day on the River Crane with The Conservation Volunteers
Management: Bedford Park balsam bash with the Cwn Taf Nature Network
Management: Balsam pull on the Cadham River, New Forest Non-native Plants Project
Launch: The Wye Invasive Species Project relaunched their Balsam Action Toolkit.

Saturday 20th May

Management: Sour fig removal. With the Guernsey Conservation Volunteers, at the Burton Battery, Albecq, Guernsey.
Event: World premiere of Alchemilla mollis - The Animation by Teesdale School and 1st Middleton-in-Teesdale Scouts. With Teesdale Special Flora Trust at Mickleton Village Hall.
Management: Floating pennywort removal event with British Canoeing, the Angling Trust, Canal & River Trust and Environment Agency at Stanley Ferry, Wakefield.
Awareness raising: Protect Nature Now Faire. Join WaREN and other conservation projects for a day of activities and talks at the Welsh Wildlife Centre.
Management: Himalayan balsam clearance with the Medway Valley Countryside Partnership and volunteers.
Awareness raising: Get INNS Out! Talks, displays, demonstrations and conservation dogs at Carsington Water Reservoir / Visitor Centre, Derbyshire.
Management: Ver Valley Society raising awareness and managing Himalayan balsam
Management: Biosecurity demonstration and information session with Channel Kayaks, Bristol Zoo
Awareness raising: National Biodiversity Data Centre Ireland promoting Check Clean Dry with Irish Sailing
Management: Tilhill Forestry staff collecting signal crayfish
Management: Esk & Tay SISI ran three volunteering days in Tayside

Sunday 21st May

Awareness raising: Protect Nature Now Faire. Join WaREN and other conservation projects for a day of activities and talks at the Welsh Wildlife Centre.
Awareness raising: Get INNS Out! Talks, displays, demonstrations and conservation dogs at Draycote Water Reservoir / Visitor Centre, Rugby.
Webinar: Conservation dogs of Hawaii. With Conservation dogs of Hawaii.
Event: #WildflowerHour challenge focused on invasive non-native plants, with BSBI.

Later events

29th May: Big balsam bash on the River Cray in Bexley with Thames 21.
1st June: Floating pennywort removal event with British Canoeing, the Angling Trust, and Environment Agency at the Canal & River Trust in Enfield Lock.
27th July: Floating pennywort removal event with British Canoeing, the Angling Trust, and Environment Agency at the Canal & River Trust in Enfield Lock.

Our use of Cookies

Non-native Species Secretariat

Non-native species information portal

Previous highlights

Invasive Species Week 2023

Find out more

Updates from some of the participating organisations

The Angling Trust and British Canoeing

New Forest Non-native Plants Project

Tyne Rivers Trust

Bristol Zoo

South West Invasive Species Forum

Wye Invasive Species Project

Events

Monday 15th May

Tuesday 16th May

Wednesday 17th May

Thursday 18th May

Friday 19th May

Saturday 20th May

Sunday 21st May

Later events

Activities

Blogs and articles

News

Videos

Quizzes

Webinar recordings