Battle of the Balsam

I met today with a couple of guys from Argyll Knotweed, who specialize in spraying and injecting this noxious invasive weed. Since I started 'Keep Oban Beautiful' last year we've been trying to think of a project that would really bring up to the public eye, and the cleaning up of the Black Lynn burn is what we've decided on.

This stream runs through Oban and has become overgrown with knotweed and also Himalayan balsam, and is a dumping ground for cans and bottles and the usual detritus of the yob culture. I wrote to Argyll Knotweed months ago and didn't get a reply, but had a call this morning to say that they've had a meeting with the council and have agreed to carry out the work free of charge in return for the publicity - they also want to do something for the town, they say.

We had an amazing meeting - we agreed that they would do the knotweed control free of charge as long as the council paid for the chemical (the work could last up to seven years or so) and we, 'Keep Oban Beautiful', would deal with the balsam, which although growing very tall, is an annual , seeding about with abandon by means of its explosive seed pods. It can be pulled out. They will organise all the paperwork, beg for a load of the big tonne sandbags in which to put the balsam (which by new legislation is not to be taken off site) and I will deal with our end, sort out the volunteers, arrange for an advertising banner and see if I can persuade the local cafe to provide soup! 

Far more than I expected would ever happen, so watch this space!

I've just finished the back-Blipping to 31st July, so if you've nothing better to do . . . . . !