Attendance :
Clarie Miles (Sustainable Southmead), Alistair Backwell (Friends of Blaise), Alex Dunn (SusWoT), Tim Parkinson (Henbury Conservation Society), Lydia Klimecki (Sea Mills and Coombe Dingle Climate Action Group), Liz Viggars (SusWot), Roger Moses (Friends of Badocks Wood) Peter Coleman-Smith (Bristol Avon Rivers Trust), Alice Clevely (Sustainable Brentry and Henbury)
Discussion
Balsam Bashing
- Map: need a map on the website to record where the balsam is, where can be tackled early, updated as work is done and recorded for each of the three phases of eradication. Ownership of the land may also be recorded. Other information as required.
- Plan to be developed. Main eradication from early July (to avoid nesting birds). Earlier balsam removal may be held in open land where there are no nesting birds.
- Need to cover the entire catchment from June until October for best chance of success. This will involve areas with balsam that needs to be removed three times. When plants are first suitable for eradication, later to get any regrowth and finally in the autumn to deal with late germenators.
- Neil Green from Avon Invasive Weeds Network is a local expert and can advise.
- Liz has already had a Health & Safety plan covering this years Balsam Bashing events for the entire catchment passed by the council.
- Clarie, Alistair, Liz, Alex and Roger are already trained Council leaders. More would be great.
- Council insured for their land. SusWoT also has insurance.
River Fly Monitoring
- 3 sites are best – on the Hazel Brook, on the upper end of the Trym (Southmead), after the confluence of Trym and Hazel Brook (possibly by Coombe Dingle Car park
- Potential monitors: Clarie and Viki (Southmead), Tim and Groundforce (Hazel Brook), Lydia and Pete (Coombe Dingle)
- Monitoring to be done quarterly at identified sites.
- Monitoring will provide a) baseline for any further improvements Trout in the Tryma chive in river quality and b) baseline for identifying pollution incidents with the EA
Other Business:
- Wyck Beck (a tributary of Hazel Brook) comes from the railway line and can be a source of mineral pollution. EA put in a reedbed 5 years ago which has helped.
- There is an attenuation pond at the top of the Hazelbrook with a remotely controlled sluice.
- Next meeting it would be good to start the discussion on some of the bigger problems to tackle (for example, sewage and variable water flow)
Future Meetings
- Agreed that River meetings will be every second Tuesday of the month at 8pm on zoom. Agendas will be produced in advance so only those who are relevant need attend.
- Meetings will not happen if there is not enough content to be worth 30 minutes of meeting.
Action points
| Balsam Bashing | ||
| Create a map of the Catchment to record known balsam and bashing events and show progress. To show land ownership. Areas with nesting bird. Other stuff. | Liz Viggars | Draft 13/4/21, this will be a living document for the period of the activity. |
| Put out requests for data to fill in map from memory of last years activities. | Liz Viggars | My 1 May |
| Create a high level timetable of events. Detailed plan will be a living document maintained on the website throughout the project. | Alex Dunn | Draft high level outline by 13/4/21. |
| Investigate the ownership/ permission on Henleaze golf course | Alex Dunn | asap |
| Ask group members if they would like to train with the council as Parks volunteer leaders | All group reps present. (Who will monitor this?) | By 13/4/21 |
| Contact Neil Green for support | Roger Moses | By 13/4/21 |
| River Fly Monitoring | ||
| Clarie to give Tim, Alistair and Lydia details for Jessy Grant for training with BART | Clarie | 9/3/21 |
| Alistair to pass details to Groundforce | Alistair Miles | By 28/3/21 (lifting of this stage of lockdown, as training won’t happen till after lockdown) |
| Trainees to meet with Pete to determine sites | Clarie M, Viki K, Tim P, Groundforce, Lydia K, Pete Coleman-Smith | After training |
| Pete to register sites with BART | Pete Coleman-Smith | After above. |
| Other | ||
| Determine who owns and manages the sluice. | Tim Parkinson | 13/4/21 |
| Create Agenda for next month’s zoom | Clarie Miles | 1/4/21 |
| Link with council and other bodies about bigger projects | Alistair Backwell | 13/4/21 |
| Read Wild Trout Trust report and University of Bristol reports | All interested | |
| Send FOBW Uni of Bristol report to Liz V for hosting on website | Roger Moses | 13/4/21 |
| Send BTO survey to Pete CS | Roger Moses | 13/4/21 |