Students from Harrogate’s Ashville College have joined forces with volunteers for a session of “plant” pest control in one of the town’s most popular woodland areas.
A party of more than 50 boarders spent an afternoon in the Pinewoods with members of the Pinewoods Conservation Society “bashing” balsam in a bid to eradicate the invasive giant weed.
In addition, the students, who hail from nearly a dozen different countries including England, Hong Kong and Nigeria, helped plant 100 foxgloves and picked litter.
Pinewood Conservation Group chair Neil Hind said: The group worked really hard on one of the hottest days of the year. A huge area of balsam was cleared with the foxgloves being added to those areas. A huge thank you to Ashville College, its students and the teachers.
Ashville College’s Head of Boarding Gilmour Coad said: Ashville College has been at the heart of the Harrogate community for 140 years, and our pupils and teaching staff regularly participate in community-based activities.
The afternoon spent with the Pinewoods Conservation Group was an opportunity for our boarding community to help the volunteers in preserving and enhancing this popular woodland that the school walk through each year as part of our sponsored walk.
Despite the searing heat, the students worked really hard and enjoyed the tasks set for them.
