Invasive species week: Friday 19th May
isw roundup
Invasive Species Week is drawing to a close for 2023 and we hope you’ve found the information we’ve supplied useful and enjoyable. The more knowledge we can spread about the consequences of ignoring invasive species the better – if we don’t take biodiversity seriously we will lose more native species.
We end the week on a lighthearted note with clips, photos and anecdotes from our teams, including our Director’s favourite species.
As NNSS states: “Invasive non-native species are one of the top causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. Here in Britain they harm wildlife and the environment, cost the economy over £1.7 billion a year, and can even impact on our health and way of life.”
INNS are not to be ignored!
We love a good event - here we are setting up our new branded exhibition stand
Can you spot the knotweed?
Picture sent in by Maggie Hillier, with caption:
“Family holiday to USA, Andy (our Contracts Manager) was busy spotting knotweed in the flowerbed! He just can’t help himself!”
Knotweed from space
We often use Google Earth to look at locations we are going to survey, it gives us a better picture of the scale of site and our surveyors can spot and identify INNS from these images very quickly – but can you spot which picture shows knotweed stands and which one shows Giant hogweed?
our Knotweed sniffer dog
Here’s Fifi our knotweed sniffer dog out and about with handler John Butcher.
We asked our company Director Ben Lindley…
What’s your favourite INNS?
JKW… has to be. It’s the headline maker, the UKs plant menace… and with good reason, its troublesome, invasive, and difficult to control. You can’t ignore Himalayan balsam either, hugely invasive and hugely damaging to our native waterway eco-systems.
What INNS have you seen onsite recently?
On a walk 2 weeks ago in the space of 10 minutes: Japanese knotweed, Gunnera, and Variegated Yellow Archangel.
What are your top tips when around noxious weeds?
Be careful and don’t touch/disturb unless you have read publicised do’s and don’ts, and if in doubt or need help contact us.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve spotted knotweed?
Haven’t been lucky enough to see the really weird and wonderful, that pleasure goes to our surveyors and operatives.
