Exmoor National Park selects RootWave Pro to help it eradicate invasive species
The new Exmoor Non-Native Invasives Species (ENNIS) project – a partnership between Exmoor National Park Authority, Environment Agency, National Trust, Natural England and Nicky Green Associates – will allow work to control invasive species in the National Park to be radically scaled up and extended to new species.
After an extended trial on Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed, the ENNIS team selected RootWave Pro as their preferred product for controlling invasive non-native species of weed.
Project leader Ali Hawkins, wildlife conservation officer at Exmoor National Park Authority, said: “All over the country our native species are in trouble. Urgent action to curb the spread of invasive species and restore protected habitats is vital to stop the problem escalating. This crucial project will allow us to ramp up our volunteer effort and appoint a dedicated project officer, as well as extending our ground-breaking trials using electrocution to destroy the root system of problem plants.”
Non-native invasive species are a major threat to sensitive habitats throughout the UK, costing the British economy an estimated £1.7 billion a year, according to the GB non-native species secretariat.