| Body | I took advantage of the weather at the weekend to go for a couple of long cycles, which incorporated long stretches of the foot/cycle paths along the Clyde and Kelvin. And sadly, these areas are as badly infested with giant hogweed as I've ever seen them. Enormous patches of tens to hundreds of plants at a time, often coming within touching distance of the path. And it concerns me that a lot of people don't seem to know how toxic and dangerous they are; contact with any part of the plants risks serious chemical burns (as in, potentially third-degree burns and lifelong disfigurement; there have been lots of cases of unsuspecting children playing with the plants and ending up with horrific burns). This is especially alarming when we're talking about areas where people are very likely to bring their children, and when there are no barriers between the plants and the path!
They're also absolutely terrible for the area's natural biodiversity, as they aggressively crowd out other species and cause massive disruption to the ecosystem. They make large swaths of the riverbank totally inaccessible and are an utter fucking menace on every level. Legally, as I understand it, the city council is supposed to remove them from public areas, as they are a legally controlled invasive species. At one point I even saw them sprouting in a patch of soil right next to Inn Deep, where people often sit, and where kids can just walk right up to them... Those thankfully did get removed, and my complaint to GCC about them might have expedited that. But at the rate the council is tackling them, it's inevitably gonna be a game of whack-a-mole, as they're incredibly aggressive and fast-growing plants, and they're shedding seeds by the thousand right next to a huge river. So what's the deal, GCC? Are you just gonna let these evil triffids take over more and more of the city? |
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