Stinky ‘skunk’ plant cleared from river

HomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellTechnologyWatch DocumentariesArtificial IntelligenceIntelligence RevolutionAI v the MindTech NowHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of the Earth EarthWatch DocumentariesScienceNatural WondersClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesSite searchHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersStinky 'skunk' plant cleared from river10 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleDanny FullbrookBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and BuckinghamshireAffinity WaterAffinity Water provides grants of up to £10,000 to support community-led projects that manage invasive speciesAn invasive plant said to smell like "rotting meat" has been cleared from a Buckinghamshire river.

More than 2.5km (1.6 miles) of the River Alderbourne has been treated for American skunk cabbage, which is native to swamps and other wetlands in the Pacific Northwest.

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine has described the plant as having a smell that resembles "rotting meat".

Environmental charity Groundwork South received £9,900 from Affinity Water's INNS Out Scheme to carry out the work.

The team surveyed and treated several locations, including a site at Harding's Row Nature Reserve near Iver Heath.

Surveys conducted after the work showed "promising early results", according to the charity.

Matt Mountain, senior project manager at Groundwork, said: "The support from Affinity has been crucial in allowing us to tackle this relatively new invasive species before it reaches a stage where eradication becomes impractical.

"It's a real win for local and regional wildlife and the wider ecosystem. This is especially true here in the Colne catchment as the rivers under threat are globally significant chalk streams."

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