Regular readers will be aware that we at Wilden Marsh have declared war on invasive Himalayan balsam. Our main weapon, a herd of ten rare breed Shetland cattle, has not yet won its first battles in the Riverside or Hoo Brook pastures, nor did we expect that it would. The cattle will regroup to attack the menace again when it arrives on the battlefield next year. Our secondary weapon, The Marsh Volunteering Group, is very short of people. However, we have devoted a good deal of our available labour resources to balsam pulling this year.
The cattle are provided by the Wyre Forest Grazing Animals Project, and managed by the Ranger Service. The Rangers work hard to keep the cattle healthy, happy, safe, and properly cared for. The cattle are visited every day, either by Rangers or their volunteers.
The difference grazing has made to the north end of the marsh is dramatic. I was able to freely move around the Riverside and Hoobrook pastures throughout this year, instead of battling with 2 to 3 metre high stands of very closely packed Himalayan balsam for 5 or 6 months as in earlier years.
The Riverside and Hoobrook pastures, and the Swamp, were grazed continuously throughout June and the first two weeks of July, before moving the Shetlands on to the Northern Corridor (https://thewildenmarshblog.com/mikes-shetland-cowpie-diary-2/).
Each year of grazing should reduce Himalayan balsam growth, but we will need to manage and control it for many years to come.
Eradication Team! Love it.
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Unless we get rid of the balsam surrounding the marsh, I feel we will always be fighting the battle.
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Hi Mike, glad that the cattle are doing a good job however I fear that the battle will be ongoing for a very long time and I doubt that the war will ever be won.
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This is very true, Dave. The same applies to willow, alder, and all the other trees and bushes, thistles, nettles and ragwort. They all have to be managed. If I push a stick into the marsh one year, it’s a 2 metre high sapling the next.
Even the marsh mink seem to be larger than those elsewhere. I think I’ve grown an few centimetres since my involvement with the marsh.
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Must find time to visit, could do with putting a bit of weight on.
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You guessed the direction in which I have grown, then?
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The workdays are 2nd Tuesday and last Sunday of each month, Dave. Let me know what size saw you prefer.
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Nice to have a team of willing workers even if they haven’t completed the job yet.
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These Shetlands have a job for life, Tom.
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A reliable mowing team of 10 is a valuable resource on a marsh, Tom. The really good thing is that they work unsupervised for most of the time.
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Ideal.
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Well done ppl and cattle so far and all the best with your continuing battles.
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