Tameforce volunteers have installed 80m2 of pre planted coir pallets to transform a forgotten stream in Church Pool Covert at our Hams Hall office.
We have worked with volunteer groups this year, to clear Himalayan balsam from the wooded site where the invasive plant has dominated the area. We have then reinstated native species to improve biodiversity value and help prevent soil loss in flood events. This is part of our ‘Balsam meets its match’ project funded by Banister Charitable Trust where we are working with our partners to improve a number of sites with the Tame Valley Wetlands.
Yesterday, our Tameforce volunteers prepared a 400m2 area ready for grass seeding using species which are happy in shaded and wetland environments.
We then installed 80m2 of preplanted coir pallets along a 20m length of stream. The coir pallets 2m x 1m in size and are like a planted rug. The pallet is made from coconut fibre which will degrade over time, giving the plants the chance to establish the root system in the bank while also providing some erosion protection of the soil, preventing the soil being washed away in the winter into the river system, which degrades water quality.
Take a look at these awesome before and after photographs.