On Wednesday evening, Umeå municipality had invited residents of Ersmark and Ersforsen to a work party to remove giant balsams in the area.
– You have to remove the plants two or three times a year in this area and you have to do it before they go to seed, says Åsa Laurell.
About 30 people joined the municipality’s work club. One of these was Lina Nyberg, who lives in the area.
– We are usually out clearing lupins with the children. This was great fun when it’s coordinated and it goes fast when we help each other, she says.
Tavelån flows through the Tavlefjärden nature reserve before the river reaches the Gulf of Bothnia. The county board’s goal is for the giant balsams to be gone from the reserve within six years.
– If it is to succeed, all property owners upstream need to take their responsibility because giant balsam spreads effectively with water, explains Åsa Laurell.