Members of the Cam Upper Reaches Action Team (Curat) have been clearing Himalayan Balsam along the Slade, a tributary to the Cam on the Audley End Estate, Saffron Walden.
The invasive non-native plant has taken over stretches of the Cam, crowding out other plant species. Balsam seeds drop into the river and start growing downstream.
The 'Balsam Bashers' want to eradicate Balsam from all the streams in north Uttlesford that feed into the Cam as well as clearing it from the main river.
Curat was formed in 2020 by Colin Day and Richard Pavitt, both residents of Great Chesterford.
The group now has approaching 100 members drawn from communities along the Cam from its source near Widdington to Great Chesterford.
They have been awarded a £1,000 Affinity Water grant towards purchasing equipment for work on the river. The Cam is classified as a chalk stream and is one of relatively few in the world.
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