Big Chevin Balsam Bash: July 2026!

We are making great progress tackling the Himalayan Balsam growing in Chevin Forest Park this summer! Himalayan Balsam is an invasive species that grows quickly and shades out other ground vegetation; by removing the plant each year, we hope to stop it spreading further across the site.

On Sunday 12th July from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm we’ll be hosting our next Big Chevin Balsam Bash! We’ll meet at the Lower Shawfield Car Park and tackle the balsam growing in the surrounding areas.

If you’d like to familiarise yourself with the plant before coming along, there’s a good identification sheet at this link, but we will also show you on the day.

Everyone is welcome to join us but under 16s should be accompanied by an adult. Please bring your own gardening gloves if you have them but we will also have spare pairs for people to use. We recommend wearing trousers and long sleeved top as there are nettles growing in the areas we will be working.

If you’re travelling from Otley you can take the free Chevin Shuttle bus to reach this event – departing from Otley Bus Station at 10:00 am, one of the Friends of Chevin Forest will be there to ride with you and bring you to the balsam bashing location.

Bring plenty of water to drink as it may be hot! We will pop to the Mistal Kitchen for a coffee afterwards – all are welcome!