Almost 500,000 Himalayan balsam plants have been removed from Cumbria’s riverbanks area this year.
Conservation charity Eden Rivers Trust said the Big Balsam Bash had reached a major milestone and doubled the impact of last year’s campaign.
Himalayan balsam is an invasive non-native species (INNS) with showy pink flowers and prolific growth.
Its dominance along Eden’s riverbanks and footpaths crowds out native plants that are essential for stabilising riverbanks and supporting native wildlife.
This year, more communities than ever have joined forces with Eden Rivers Trust to reclaim the riverbanks.
The trust said: “From Carlisle to Warcop, volunteers of all ages have rolled up their sleeves, pulling and bashing an astonishing 470,580 plants.”
The trust launched a new initiative this year, encouraging volunteers to sign up as Balsam Bailiffs.
The first four took to Eden’s waterways, removing thousands of balsam plants and contributing 208 hours of volunteering in their spare time.
Ali Penny, the trust’s invasive species officer, said: “After the success of 2024, we set out to go even bigger—and we did just that. Thanks to the incredible dedication of our volunteers and communities, we’ve removed twice as many plants this year.
“Tackling this invasive species is a huge challenge, but our collective effort is even more powerful.
“We couldn’t have done it without them and the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Access to Eden: Breaking barriers, building bridges project and Westmorland and Furness Council’s Climate and Nature Partnership Fund.”
