Attendance
Alistair Backwell (Friends of Blaise), Liz Viggars (SusWoT), Frances Robertson (Friends of Badock’s Wood), Alex Dunn (SusWoT), Di Bunniss (FOB), Peter Coleman-Smith (SusWoT), Bryony Cole (Sea Mills and Coombe Dingle Climate Action Group), Zac Jones (Sea Mills and Coombe Dingle Climate Action Group)
Apologies
Roger Moses (Friends of Badock’s Wood), Alice Cleverly & Mark Maggs (Sustainable Henbury and Brentry)
Himalayan Balsam
Here is a summary of key issues from Liz. The balsam is back already (away from the river – it’s currently a great training ground in the identification of juvenile balsam) We need to focus our efforts to try and get below 500 hours of effective effort this year. We should look to start getting the accessible balsam earlier this year – probably mid-May.
Just under half of the effort went on Blaise last year and I expect similar this – although Crow Lane should get more consistent early attention. We mapped the major stands last year – and I’ve got a draft website page for 2022 – highlighting where we need to spend time.
Henbury and Brentry have a session booked 1 May (probably a bit early, but we could always walk them up to Jeremy’s (Last) stand in Blaise (above Stratford Mill) to run their training).
SMCDCAG struggled with their sessions last year as their ‘usual’ volunteers are not Balsam-orientated. They plan to offer sessions this year but are not expecting an increase in take-up.
SusWoT will arrange many sessions! We will include refresher training learning from last year’s issues (identification, re-rooting)
What would work best for FoB this year? Is there anything else we need to think about?
River Cleaning See map for current situation
Henbury and Brentry:
Event organised for May 1.
Blaise:
No Trout in the Trym cleaning work has so far been done in Blaise. There is no known significant problem. An examination will be hade in the summer and any work undertaken.
Coombe Dingle and Sea Mills:
Half this stretch has been done. See map, however more needs to be done when drier in the summer.
Golf Course:
No work done so far. A check will need to be done in the summer.
Westbury Village:
Done. Monitor.
WWP:
The Wildlife park are assumed to be keeping their section clear.
Badock’s Wood:
No issues.
Southmead Trym Valley:
This has not been looked at since 6 March when it was very clear.
Silt Traps and Weirs
The key for the trap has been found. Caroline from Parks has arranged a meeting with us to visit the trap and ponds to discuss what might be done. Thoughts are: Fill in the ponds, BCC organise cleaning up the ponds (winter when high water flow), The silt trap is emptied, Hazel Brook is diverted round the ponds. Issues include the anerobic nasty dangersous state of the ponds, costs, heritage, visitor appeal, fish health, dogs, documentation.
Meeting will be in May.
Action: Alastair to contact Theo Pike and ask what are the things we might do. The report WTT provided was fishcentric, we need to manage heritage, visitors and fish. (Alex offered to contact if needed.)
WalkFest
Frances is managing this. All seems to be in order Bryony will be supporting Mark Maggs. The graphic Jon produced would be available for use.
Action: Frances has produced a press release and will send it out and send out information separately for circulation to group lists.
Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership Meeting
This is now on 26 April. Alex and Peter due to attend. They have the following issues to discuss with them. Balsam, River Cleaning, More support for our newer Groups, Outfall Survey, Remove Barriers. Ponds/Silt, Rebending, Commiunity Programs, Wessex Water. There is now grant available for startup groups.
There is also the Catchement Partnership Grant fund details here. You must apply by 6 MAY
Climate and Ecological Emergency Community Grant
The new Council fund (up to £5,000 p. application) that is supporting nature initiatives:
The grant programme is targeted at community groups or small not-for-profit organisations based and working in Bristol. Grant opens on 9th May, closes on 23rd June 2022. Details here.
If you have an idea fo something Trout in the Trym could apply for and run properly please email troutinthetrym@gmail.com.
Quartet in the community Report
We’ve been asked to provide this by end of June. it was agreed that we should produce high quality report with the intention of building a strong relationship with Wessex Water.
Action: Alex to produce report and Submit
Pollution Incidents – reporting
Action All Peter is very keen to learn more. He sent this message. I got the impression that others had some ideas about the source of the poor water quality on the Hazel Brook. If we believe the published data (from Wessex Water, most recent data covers the whole of 2021) which says there are no combined sewer outfalls (CSOs) on the Hazel Brook then the problem must be down to misconnected drains and abuse of the roadside drains (businesses pouring chemicals/paint/oil/etc down the road side drain).
I’m keen to follow up with Wessex Water to push them to track down the key pollution sources so they can be followed up and fixed. Therefore I would really welcome whatever you can tell me about any of the specific Hazel Brook hotspots which you know about, eg a specific pipe or business doing things they shouldn’t. Any help gratefully received, especially if it is as geographically specific as possible (so I can find it and share the location).Many thanks in anticipation.
There appears to be another problem in the Trym Valley Southmead that Frances is chasing up. Action Peter and Liz need to be kept informed.
Yellow fish and rain in drain awareness
We will do this, however at the moment schools are overleaded.
Action Peter: To get in Touch with the BART project Office and find out what happend with the last Yellow Fish campaign that was run.
Bryony Article
Bryony’s article has been circulated for use in local media, best suited to being published in May or June when people will be more interested in outdoor activities. Jon is happy to adapt the poster as required, this is now tied into the walkfest above.
Action: Bryony to send to Frances for promotion.
AOB
None