I am pleased to announce that we have been awarded £8000 by Tesco’s Bags of Help Fund to support Invasive Weeds control on the Girvan and Stinchar in 2017.

Through this project each catchment will be provided with training, tools, chemical, guidance and support from ART staff in the control of these plants. Each catchment will be provided with a bio security box that contains cleaning kits to decontaminate tools and PPE. This is critical in preventing the spread of water borne diseases, pathogens and invasive plants.

ART staff will resurvey each catchment identifying the worst affected areas allowing a targeted control regime to be implemented by volunteers and staff. ART staff will coordinate and work alongside volunteers to strim, pull and spray these plants.

ART staff and Trustees would like to thank all those who voted for our project. Watch the blog and our Facebook page for updates on the project which will commence in 2017.

An example of a path network being gradually lost to Japanese knotweed – without control paths can easily be lost to this plant.

 

An example of a monoculture of Japanese knotweed on the banks of the Muck Water in the Stinchar catchment

Tesco has teamed up with Groundwork on its Bags of Help initiative across Scotland. The scheme will see three community groups and projects in each region awarded grants of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 – all raised from the 5p bag charge.  Greenspace Scotland are working with Groundwork to support Scottish communities.  

Bags of Help offers community groups and projects in each of Tesco’s 416 regions across the UK a share of revenue generated from the 5p charge levied on single-use carrier bags. The public will now vote in store from 31 October to 13 November on who should receive the £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 awards. In total, there is over £12.5 million up for grabs.

Details of Tesco’s Bags of Help Fund are available at www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp