Recording alien species
Do you realise that there are alien species living in most parts of our National Park? Well, they're not from outer space and most aren't little or men, but many of them are green!! Unfortunately we have our fair share of invasive plants growing in our countryside. They can cause real problems too - they grow and spread much faster than our native species, often dominating vast areas and preventing other species from growing, which in turn reduces food sources for our native animals.
But how did they get here? Many of the plant species are actually garden escapes. Japanese knotweed was brought to Britain from its native Japan in the 19th century and soon became the must-have plant for every fashion-conscious Victorian gardener ... but unfortunately they didn't know how quickly it could spread and colonise large areas and it soon became a menace.
Although we know we have a lot of these species, we don't exactly know where they are growing, which means we cannot co-ordinate efforts to try and get rid of them. So if you see any of the species shown below, please let us know by completing this simple invasive plants survey card(just print it out and send back to the address shown) or by visiting the Biodiversity Information Service website and filling in a simple online recording form. All of the species are easily recognisable.
Giant hogweed: a huge plant that can grow up to about 8 foot/2.5m tall. It's sap is poisonous and can cause painful blistering and severe skin irritation. Do not touch!!
Japanese knotweed: an exceptionally tough plants that spreads like wildfire creating dense stands that suffocate out our native plants. This one is really tough to eradicate.
Himalayan balsalm: spreads quickly along river banks, railway lines etc. It has pretty pink flowers but don't be fooled - this plant also blocks out our native plants.
