Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is offering to help landowners get rid of non-native invasive plants from their properties.

The Wiltshire Invasive Plants Project, run by the trust, aims to help people remove Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed from their land.

The trust said these plant species were infesting waterways and causing real problems for wildlife.

The project is targeting landowners with land along the River Ray that runs through Swindon, as well as Salisbury Avon – and its tributaries the Nadder, Ebble, Wylye and Bourne – as well as the By Brook in the North Wiltshire Cotswolds.

The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust has 18,500 members and manages 37 nature reserves. It aims to lead by example in the protection of the environment and believes that the plant could cause a real headache for landowners as well as wildlife.

Giant hogweed can cause painful blistering on contact with the skin.

If left to get out of hand the plants can lead to bank erosion and a greater risk of winter flash floods, as well as mounting removal costs. Landowners have a legal obligation to stop the spread of these species on their land but the trust said it could be overwhelming for an individual to take action.

The three-year project, which is funded by the SITA Trust, Natural England and the Environment Agency, aims to map, control and eliminate the three species across the target rivers.

Emma Harrington, senior project officer for the project, said: “These three species are a huge threat because they create vast monocultures that out-compete our native species and threaten the biodiversity of the areas they inhabit. All three plants grow on river banks and can quickly spread downstream, so it is essential that we tackle the species from source to confluence as early as possible.”

Project staff will begin surveying from mid-May to identify areas of balsam so they can begin pulling the weed before it sets seed.

Last year more than 60 landowners were provided with guidance and advice and the work revealed that the scale of the infestation was far worse than previously thought.

Ms Harrington added: “We can provide advice sheets to help landowners identify these species and to detail the control methods.

“We can advise them where to find potential sources of financial assistance for eradication and appropriate contractors to deal with the giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed, which can only be tackled by someone who has gained a specific certificate in herbicide application.

“If landowners along these rivers have too much balsam to pull up themselves, we will try to provide volunteers who will help reduce the problem to a manageable level, so that they can carry on eradicating it afterwards.”

The trust is also seeking volunteers to survey for the three plants, and pull up the balsam.

All ages can take part, although those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Last year more than 680 volunteer hours were put into pulling up balsam.

Volunteers Simon Taber said: “It’s really rewarding because pulling balsam is such a hands-on practical way to make a difference to the environment.

“We get to talk to loads of landowners who didn’t realise the scale of the problem at first but are keen to do their bit.”

Landowners across Wiltshire who have an invasive plant species on their land are encouraged to contact Ms Harrington on 01380 725670 ext. 276 or email emmah@wiltshirewildlife.org Those interested in volunteering should contact Hilary Sterritt on 01380 725670 ext 269/292 for a volunteer’s form.

To learn more about the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust go to www.wiltshirewildlife.org