The Beeston Canal & River Trust Towpath Task Force and HPPCC are making habitat improvements on local canals.
The two groups joined forces again to fight the invasive Floating Pennywort and collect litter on the Nottingham Beeston Canal in early March.
This team of 24 strong volunteers from Canal & River Trust Towpath Taskforce and the floating group from Holme Pierrepont Canoe Club (HPPCC) equipped with rafts and canoes are making a major difference to the stretch of canal from Beeston Lock to Thane Road bridge.
This is the third time in 8 months that they have worked together and they are making great progress to ensure that this stretch is eventually cleared of the invasive species. Floating Pennywort which is native to the Americas can spread in large clumps over the water surface smothering native plants and depriving the water both of light and oxygen endangering aquatic life. It can block sluices, cause flooding and restrict boat access by clogging propellers.
Ruth McColl from the Taskforce Team stated “We are thankful to the combined effort of our amazing local Taskforce team and the supportive HPPCC group, as without them we could not tackle this important job. My sincere thanks go out to organisers Dawn & Ian Scott and the supporting HPPCC paddlers, along with our Towpath Taskforce. By combining our collective strengths, we have managed to pull out and remove large quantities of this invasive weed which, if left untouched, could multiply and wreak havoc for all who use and depend on us to access our canals. The canal is also so much cleaner now and it should make us all proud to encourage everyone to maintain and keep it that way.”
If you would like to get involved with either of the organisations, their contact details are here:
HPPCC – Ian Law, Club Secretary Email: [email protected] or Mob: 07468 431825
Canal & River Trust – https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/contact-us/ways-to-contact-us
Written by Jeff McColl.