We hope you will love your stay in Ljubljana and you will be in the mood to do something good for your host city. Join the CITO event GC9R6JA on Sunday, June 5, from 9.00 to 11.30. To support the City of Ljubljana efforts to clear the public land of invasive plants, we will be removing the Himalayan balsam plant (Impatiens glandulifera) in a heavily affected area along the Sava river at the north-eastern outskirts of the city.
The plant is native to the Himalayas and has been introduced to decorative gardens in the first half of 19th century. Since its escape to the wild, it has spread across much of the Northern Hemisphere. It is considered invasive in many areas and included in the Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species.
Slovenian Geocaching club helped the City of Ljubljana and collected 650 kg of Japanese knotweed for a community project.
What to expect?
A short presentation of Himalayan balsam, other common invasive species and City of Ljubljana efforts to limit their impact on public lands (like the publicly funded APPLAUSE project). Pulling out the plants to the point of satisfying your appetite for destruction in great geocaching company. It’s not hard and it’s fun.
Where to geocache?
We will focus on the CITO activity, but there are a few caches in the area for those that wish to warm-up for the CITO event with a couple of finds.
Other activities
Not many other activities around here. We will focus on the CITO event and try to uproot as many plants as we can.
Practical information
The event will take place in along the Sava river near Sneberje in the area of published coordinates. We will meet in the grounds of the Športni klub Sloga sports club (barrier will be open). There is ample parking and a watering hole for morning coffee and other beverages to quench your thirst on a warm summer morning. The event is conveniently accessible from A1 motorway at the exit no. 26 (Ljubljana-Sneberje). Seneberje is serviced by the public transport bus #12. Unfortunately, the options are very limited on a Sunday morning.
The plants have shallow roots, so they are removed easily by pulling without using much force. The activity is suitable for everyone, as the plants are not toxic or allergenic. No special equipment is necessary, but we advise you to wear outdoor activity clothes and shoes. Protective gloves will be provided by the organisers should you need them.
