One over the Eyot

Chiswick Eyot (or “ait”) is a small, uninhabited river island opposite Chiswick Mall. Perhaps best known as the approximate halfway point of the annual Oxford-Cambridge boat race, it is also an important nature reserve. It is accessible by foot only for short periods at low tide, whilst at the very highest tides it is almost completely submerged, making it a lush, green environment.

Unfortunately the Eyot is under threat from erosion and it was a pleasure to join other volunteers from Thames 21 and the Old Chiswick Protection Society to help combat two of the causes.

First task was pulling up Himalayan balsam, an invasive species which overwhelms native flora. Its shallow roots mean that it binds soil ineffectively, leading to erosion - but on the other hand, it makes them satisfyingly easy to pull out and we soon generated a large pile.

Another invasive species is the Chinese Mitten Crab, which cause considerable soil damage by burrowing. While I didn’t actually get to see any of them today, I was shown how to push bundles of tree branches onto stakes and then weave willow branches round them to create defences to shore up the earth. Very creative and great fun!

Finally, I ventured onto the furthest reaches of the ait to help carry more supplies of branches to the shore. The occasional rain shower on the otherwise warm and sunny day added to the jungle vibe as we pushed our way through the foliage.

A really enjoyable couple of hours and very educational thanks to the patient regular volunteers who made sure all the newbies learnt the skills they need to hopefully come back and help again soon.