Seventeen very enthusiastic Friends of the Wye Conservation Volunteers formed a work party at Desborough Park.

On the northern channel, the area between the car park and the playground was cleared. The branches and other debris, caught by a fallen tree in the river, was removed and the water level fell more than 45 centimetres!

On the southern channel, by the apartments, watercress was removed together with some vegetation roots, which significantly increased the flow. The bankside was cleared too, opening up the river to view. Rubbish were also removed, enough to fill nine bags!

A further small work party will clear the rest of the channel, up to the school, hopefully by Christmas.

A lot of vegetation that was blocking the channel was removed, along with a lot of fresh branches left in the water following recent tree lopping work.

It was hard work and everyone got quite wet and mud splattered and had to have faces wiped down before having a break with tea and biscuits!

Everyone went home happy to have achieved a noticeable difference and our thanks go to everyone involved.

Friends of the Wye volunteers have dealt with Himalayan Balsam plants, Impatiens glandulifera, growing by the river on the Rye.

This plant is a highly invasive alien species which we have mostly under control. However a few plants pop up every year and it is most easily dealt with by removing the flowers before the seeds form.

Timing is important as ripe seed pods explode at the slightest touch scattering the seeds which then grow into new plants the following year.

Please see this guide to identification and if you spot this plant anywhere along the Wye please let us know.

Our thanks to our volunteers, Bill and Eddie, for dealing with this patch of plants.

Friends of the Wye volunteers took their display to Wooburn Fete, and enjoyed meeting and sharing information with visitors.

We had our usual wet display of aquatic invertebrates (starring the crayfish).

Thanks to our supporters: Bill, Eddie, and Colin.