Painswick Balsam
The fight against Himalayan Balsam moved to Painswick today. The Stroud Valleys Project team met up at the rugby club, after eventful diversions down narrow lanes due to the main Painswick-Stroud road being shut.
It was a sweltering morning already with temperatures predicted to reach 29C. Everyone had their best head gear for protection, with the prize going to Graham who bought a Cambridge folk festival vibe to the table.
This was a new location for us, and we were to continue a stretch alongside the stream started by GWT. It took a little while to find the spot after leaving the public footpath and working down the valley.
Eventually we found the densely growing forest of Balsam, all in full flower. We were still some way from the bank so we prioritised making a pathway to get as close as possible to the lower plants. This is to prevent their seeds being carried downstream. We could then work backwards up the valley.
The heat was relentless though. We took a couple of breaks but by 1pm we were feeling pretty wiped out so we made our way back. The Olympics is on at the moment, and the thought of an afternoon with a cool drink watching the BMX finals trumped any desire to continue pulling the Balsam.
