Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is appealing for volunteers to help continue to control an invasive plant which threatens to dominate our river banks. Himalayan balsam is a non-native plant that thrives alongside rivers, crowding out native species and threatening riverside habitats and wildlife.

Since 2009 The Trust has been working with our partners the Peak District National Park Authority, the Trent Rivers Trust and local fishing clubs to remove this invasive plant. Himalayan - or Indian - balsam was introduced to the UK from Asia in 1839 when it was displayed at Kew Gardens. It can grow up to three metres tall, so shades out other plants along river banks. Projecting its seeds up to seven metres away, if left it grows densely, leaving no room for native wild flowers and damaging  the habitat for riverside wildlife. In winter it dies back leaving bare soil which is vulnerable to erosion.

Several volunteer days have been organised by the Peak District National Park Authority to pull the plant at Calver Marshes and the River Manifold; please contact them for details of their volunteer days on 01629 816200.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is planning volunteer days on the Upper Derwent on 27th and 30^th July and 4^th and 6^th August. Further days are to be organised to tackle re-growth later in August, including upper reaches of the Rivers Dove and Manifold. If you would like to help please contact Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on 01773 881188 for more information about these days.

If you live along the River Dove or its sidestreams and need advice on removing Himalayan balsam from your land contact the Trust on 01773 881188 or via enquiries@derbyshirewt.co.uk .

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's Water for Wildlife Project is funded by the SITA Trust, the Tubney Charitable Trust, Derbyshire County Angling Club and the Lowland Derbyshire Biodiversity Partnership.

Families are invited to go wild with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust at Severn Trent Water, Carsington Water during the school summer holidays.

The Trust is organising some family fundays based at its Wildlife Discovery Room at Carsington Water. With a wildlife trail, activity walks, crafts and microscopes to view minibeasts, there's plenty to keep everyone busy.

Dates planned are:

Friday 30^th July and Friday 13^th August: Icky insects or Marvellous Minibeasts?

Sunday 8^th August: Fabulous Flutterbys.

Friday 3^rd September: Fly like a bee.

The sessions run from 11am to 4pm - just drop in and join in the fun! There is a charge of £2 per child for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust members and £3.50 per child for non-members. Children must be accompanied by an adult. To find out more contact the Trust on 01773 881188.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has the perfect way to help keep the children entertained during the school summer holidays. The Trust has organised a series of free, fun family activities at its Avenue Washlands Nature Reserve near Wingerworth.

The sessions on offer are:

29^th July: Pond Life. Come and discover the amazing variety of life in a pond, and get up close and personal with some dragons.

5^th August: Rivers to the Sea. Celebrate National Marine Week with a look at the River Rother. Learn about the eels that spend part of their life here and migrate out to sea.

26^th August: Meadow Magic. Take a close look at all the wildlife that lives in a wildflower meadow by going on a safari to find it.

3^rd September: Make a mini beast a home. Discover the overlooked world of mini beasts and make a home for them.

Sessions run from 10am to 12pm and are repeated from 1pm to 3pm. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Booking is essential as numbers are limited - contact the Trust on 01773 881188.

The family activity sessions are supported by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) which is responsible for delivering the wider clean up operation on the former Avenue Coking Works site.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has teamed up with Poole's Cavern in Buxton to organise ‘Wild Times in Grin Low Woods' during the school summer holidays.

From art and craft to mini beast hunting and creating your own Boggart, there's plenty to occupy families, all in the great outdoors.

There are four days planned:

Wednesday 11^th August: In the trees. Discover the world of trees by getting up close and personal - you could make a friend for life.

Wednesday 18^th August: Where's Boggart? Have you ever met a Boggart? Now's your chance to make one and give it a home in the woods.

Wednesday 25^th August: Minibeast Safari. Let's go on a mini-beast safari in the woods - where do they live, what do they look like, what do they do?

Wednesday 1^st September: Environmental Arts. Come and help make a gallery of arts in the woods using natural materials.

Sessions run from 10.30am to 12pm and are repeated from 1pm to 3pm. There is a charge of £2 per child for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust members and £3.50 per child for non-members. Booking is essential, and children must be accompanied by an adult. To book and for more details contact Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on 01773 881188.

Discover pond life and get in touch with your creative side with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust this school summer holiday.

The Trust has organised two days of family fun this August at the Whistlestop Centre, Matlock Bath. These are:

Thursday 12^th August: Pond Life. Come and discover the pond life at the Whistlestop Centre and make your own pond creature.

Thursday 19^th August: Landart. Get creative and have a go at Landart - making pictures and sculptures with natural materials and landforms.

The sessions run from 10.30am to 12pm and are repeated from 1pm to 2.30pm. There is a charge of £2 per child for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust members and £3.50 per child for non-members. Booking is essential, and children must be accompanied by an adult. To book and for more details contact Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on 01773 881188.

Derbyshire's natural environment may look beautiful but it is facing huge challenges and urgent action is needed to protect it. These are the conclusions of a new report by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

The Trust recently completed a ten-year study of Local Wildlife Sites around the county. There are more than 1,000 of these sites in Derbyshire outside the Peak District National Park and they cover more than 10,000 hectares, or six per cent of the county. They contain some of our most important wildflower meadows, grasslands, ancient woodlands and ponds - all of which are valuable habitats for species that are declining locally or nationally. These include water voles, many moth species, plants such as orchids and our reptiles and amphibians. Their numbers, and the wildlife they contain, make them the best way of assessing the state of the county's environment.

The picture is not good. Poor management, development, intensive agricultural practices and infilling of ponds, have all contributed to the decline of Local Wildlife Sites. We have lost 130 since 1984, and more than 50 are threatened by future development. Less than a quarter of those sites remaining are in good condition.

Local Wildlife Sites are non-statutory so do not receive the same level of protection given to National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest. However, many are just as important for wildlife.

Commenting on the report, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Chief Executive Ed Green said: "Behind Derbyshire's natural beauty it is clear that all is not well. Local Wildlife Sites are the cornerstones of the county's landscape, and in many cases are the last refuges for vulnerable animals and plants.

"We all stand to lose out if we don't take action - a thriving natural environment is important not only for our wildlife but for everyone's physical and mental well-being. Healthy landscapes also help protect against flooding and pollution. We are working with landowners and other partners to restore our landscapes and create a wildlife-rich environment for the future through our Living Landscape schemes. LWS are a central part of this vision and we will be raising awareness about them, providing help and advice to owners and looking to get more designated as Local Nature Reserves. However, we can't tackle this problem on our own, and we are calling on the Government, local authorities and land managers to help us."

The report, The State of the Natural Environment in Derbyshire, can be downloaded here.

Visitors to Carsington Water can get a glimpse of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's new Wildlife Discovery Room when it opens its doors for the day on Sunday 11^th July.

The room will be open between 11am and 4pm for visitors to find out more about the Trust and what it does, learn about mini-beasts with some live bug specimens to look at and have a go at wildlife mask making. DVDs featuring Trust projects and local wildlife will also be running.

The Trust is using the Wildlife Discovery Room as part of a partnership with Severn Trent Water. School visits and family activity days will be organised over the coming months. The Trust's Education Officer Kathy Clarke is organising the Wildlife Discovery Room Open Door Day. She explains: "The day is designed to give people a hint of some of the activities we'll be doing and to find out more about what the Trust does around the county."

Join Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on a guided walk to find butterflies at Brockholes Wood Nature Reserve, one of few remaining areas of upland oak woodland in the north of Derbyshire.

Trust Reserves Officer Julia Gow will be leading the walk at the reserve near Crowden. She explains: "Twelve species of butterfly have been recorded on the reserve, which in addition to oak trees has bilberry, rowan and heather moorland. Among the species are purple hairstreak and green hairstreak. The caterpillars of purple hairstreak feed on oak buds while green hairstreak caterpillars eat bilberry. Other species we will be looking for include small and large skipper, green-veined white and smoky wave."

The walk takes place on Friday 16^th July, starting at 2pm from Crowden. Booking is essential - contact the Trust on 01773 881188. This walk is kindly supported by United Utilities.

Please note that the training course on invertebrates scheduled for this Saturday has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

The former colliery at Pleasley near the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border is a haven for wildlife, with mixed habitats providing homes for birds, dragonflies and wild flowers.

The Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire local group of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is joining forces with Pleasley Pit Nature Study Group to lead a guided walk around the site. This easy route of 2-3 miles will provide a lovely morning out in the Derbyshire countryside.

The walk takes place on Saturday 26^th June at 10.30am. The cost is £2.50 and booking is essential as numbers are limited - please contact Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on 01773 881188.