Join the practical work party to remove himalayan balsam from the Bear Brook, Aylesbury.

©Keith Williamson
Himalayan balsam, a pesky invasive non-native plant, has established itself along the R. Thame and some of its tributaries. These plants bully their way into habitat, over shading and out-competing our native flora. They are good disperses and can easily spread using explosive seed pods that shoot seeds several meters into the nearest watercourse.
Thankfully they are shallow rooted and easy to pull out.
What’s involved?
Spend a few hours walking lengths of stream pulling out balsam plants before they can set seed and help to clear space for native plants to grow.
What do you need to bring?
Please bring wellies, a water bottle, lunch and maybe a sun hat. All other equipment, including gloves, will be supplied.
Location: Bear Brook, Aylesbury
Time: 10:00-15:00
Tea and coffee supplied, but please bring own lunch
If you are interested in taking part please contact us using the email below.
Join the practical work party to remove himalayan balsam from the Bear Brook, Aylesbury.

©Keith Williamson
Himalayan balsam, a pesky invasive non-native plant, has established itself along the R. Thame and some of its tributaries. These plants bully their way into habitat, over shading and out-competing our native flora. They are good disperses and can easily spread using explosive seed pods that shoot seeds several meters into the nearest watercourse.
Thankfully they are shallow rooted and easy to pull out.
What’s involved?
Spend a few hours walking lengths of stream pulling out balsam plants before they can set seed and help to clear space for native plants to grow.
What do you need to bring?
Please bring wellies, a water bottle, lunch and maybe a sun hat. All other equipment, including gloves, will be supplied.
Location: Stoke Brook, Aylesbury
Time: 10:00-15:00
Tea and coffee supplied, but please bring own lunch
If you are interested in taking part please email us using the information below.
Can you help to tackle pollution in the Bear Brook and the streams of Aylesbury?

Bear Brook, taken by Ian Parsons
What is an Outfall Safari?
The Outfall Safari method involves systematically surveying the entire length of a river/stream to identify and locate polluting outfalls. This allows the pollution to be reported to Thames Water and the Environment Agency so that it can be tackled.
You must sign up to attend a training session if you want to take part. To find out more please see our website page.
What’s involved?
We need the help of volunteers to walk lengths of stream in the Aylesbury area to locate polluting outfalls. Once located polluting outfalls are reported to Thames Water and the Environment Agency so that they can be tackled.
- Attend a training session to learn how to identify and map polluting outfalls.
- Walk your local streams to help protect them from pollution.
To sign up to the training event please visit: https://bit.ly/2V0SkhY