A Catchment Wide Partnership Project To Rid our Rivers of Invasive Non Native Species
 
Going Native is aimed at establishing effective catchment wide control of American mink and Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed. These weeds, through their vigorous growth out compete native plants and so limit the biodiversity of the river banks and, as they die back in winter, expose the bare banks to increased erosion. Over the next 4 years we will expand the control of Himalayan Balsam from the current core work on the Honddu and achieve effective control along the Monnow and her tributaries by 2013, using contractors and then by coordinating the follow up voluntary effort to hand pull it.
 
Following the end of the initial funding of the Water Vole Project we will continue with the monitoring using volunteers and trapping of mink penetrating the Monnow catchment so that the fish and wildlife, such as water voles, kingfishers and dabchicks will continue to flourish within a mink free Monnow catchment.
 
The MFA, contractors and volunteers will also engage with local schools to promote the river and its inhabitants and increase awareness of the menace of non native species through the Wild trout Trust’s Mayfly in The Classroom project. This will be achieved through school visits, practical demonstrations and provision of suitable educational material and equipment.
Where suitable habitat exists we will reintroduce important native species such as water voles, white clawed crayfish and ranunculus.
 
Going Native is the first project of its type and scale and will be an example to all other catchments and similar organisations showing that it can be done. To succeed we will need the help of everybody who derives joy and benefit from the River Monnow. You can assist by becoming a volunteer to monitor a mink raft or hand pull Himalayan Balsam by emailing robert.denny@virgin.net or by making a Gift Aided donation at http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/joinus/Gift-Aid-form-2010.pdf and in Section 2 tick “Monnow”
 
You can now make a donation on line at https://www.gwct.org.uk/research__surveys/predation/predation_control/mink/2675.asp
 
Of course, you can also help by becoming an MFA member at www.monnow.org/joining.aspx
 
Thank you