Caithness Map :: Links to Site Map Great value Unlimited Broadband from an award winning provider  

 

Caithness Volunteers Get Giant Hogweed Under Control

6th May 2014

Photograph of Caithness Volunteers Get Giant Hogweed Under Control

Members of the Caithness Countryside Volunteers, with direction from John Parrott from Coille Alba, undertook control measures on Giant Hogweed along the Wick riverside last weekend.

Growing to 20 feet high, this impressive plant was once planted in gardens but has become a problematic invasive species in Britain, particularly along river banks. The plant is detrimental to other native species but is also a concern to people as it contains toxic chemicals which can cause blistering and burns.

Scottish Natural Heritage employed John Parrott to undertaken spraying of the plant last year and with help of the Caithness Countryside Volunteers has been monitoring and controlling new growth. On Sunday the group concentrated their efforts around the two hot spot zones at Bilbster and Lower Gillock where the root taps of young plants were severed.

Marina Swanson, The Highland Council’s Countryside Ranger and event organiser said: “A big thank you goes out to John and our volunteers who gave up their Sunday to help with this project. At present, we believe the population along the Wick riverside can be controlled and we are appealing to members of the public to keep an eye out for new plants which we may have missed.”

The Caithness Countryside Volunteers are a group organised through The Highland Council’s Countryside Rangers and are always looking for new members. If you wish to find out more about the group or wish to report a record of Giant Hogweed along the Wick Riverside, please contact Marina Swanson on 01955604588 or e-mail marina.swanson[AT]highland.gov.uk

PHOTO
John Parrott (2nd from right) is pictured with the volunteers tackling Giant Hogweed along Wick riverside

 

Related Organisations

 

Related Articles

6/2/2019
Caithness Countryside Volunteers AGM and Work DayThumbnail for article : Caithness Countryside Volunteers AGM and Work Day
See poster for details..  
13/2/2018
Caithness Countryside Volunteers Work Day and AGMThumbnail for article : Caithness Countryside Volunteers Work Day and AGM
CCV work day and AGM..  
14/9/2017
Day of action at Caithness bird havenThumbnail for article : Day of action at Caithness bird haven
After an extremely busy breeding season, most of the nesting birds have now left St Johns Pool, near Dunnet which gave the Caithness Countryside Volunteers the ideal opportunity to get into action before the winter migrants begin to arrive.   The volunteers undertook a range of activities such as wood preserving the viewing hides and fence posts.  
3/11/2016
Caithness Volunteers enhance habitat for the Small Blue butterflyThumbnail for article : Caithness Volunteers enhance habitat for the Small Blue butterfly
Members of the Caithness Countryside Volunteers turned out in force on Sunday (30 October 2016) to assist with a habitat enhancement project for a rare butterfly species in the Dunnet Bay area.   Dunnet Bay is home to the most northerly colony of the Small Blue Butterfly whose caterpillars depend solely on kidney vetch as a food source.  
3/11/2016
Caithness Volunteers enhance habitat for the Small Blue butterflyThumbnail for article : Caithness Volunteers enhance habitat for the Small Blue butterfly
Members of the Caithness Countryside Volunteers turned out in force on Sunday (30 October 2016) to assist with a habitat enhancement project for a rare butterfly species in the Dunnet Bay area.   Dunnet Bay is home to the most northerly colony of the Small Blue Butterfly whose caterpillars depend solely on kidney vetch as a food source.  
2/7/2014
Volunteers Spruce Up Mey Bird HideThumbnail for article : Volunteers Spruce Up Mey Bird Hide
Members of the Caithness Countryside Volunteers were pleased with the dry weather on Sunday morning as they were busy painting the second coat of wood preservative at the Loch of Mey bird hide.   The local Scottish Ornithologists' Club (SOC) were fortunate to access a grant from the Action Earth Awards to pay for the wood preservative, brushes, wood and guttering to undertake vital repairs at the bird watching facility.  
14/5/2014
Save The Sound Of Summer - The Great Yellow BumblebeeThumbnail for article : Save The Sound Of Summer - The Great Yellow Bumblebee
The sound of bumblebees buzzing around our flowers on a warm sunny day is a sure sign summer is here.  But bumblebees are also an essential part of the countryside, responsible as they are for pollinating our crops and wildflowers.  
24/4/2014
Environmental volunteering is key to healthier, happier, more employable young people, says SNH chairmanThumbnail for article : Environmental volunteering is key to healthier, happier, more employable young people, says SNH chairman
Scotland’s young people can become healthier, happier, and more employable by taking part in environmental volunteering, according to the chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).   An estimated 90,000 people take part in environmental or wildlife volunteering in Scotland each year.  
8/4/2014
Wick High Pupils Build Bug HotelThumbnail for article : Wick High Pupils Build Bug Hotel
Pupils at Wick High School have been regularly working with the local Highland Council countryside ranger at Newtonhill Croft Woodland over the last 6 months.  The youngsters have been working in all weather conditions and have undertaken a wide range of tasks such as hedge cutting and tree planting.  
30/1/2014
Caithness Countryside Volunteers Help Out At ForsinainThumbnail for article : Caithness Countryside Volunteers Help Out At Forsinain
The Caithness Countryside Volunteers ventured across to Mackay country this month to work on a boggy project on the flows of Sutherland.   The peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland are a globally important habitat and the RSPB are currently undertaking work to restore some areas of former conifer plantation back to native bog.