Please put this letter in the paper. Thanks!
Dear citizens of Centre Wellington,
You may have seen a flower with pink,bell-shaped petals,strange, green pods that pop when touched at the bottom, with an odd, green red stem. If you did, you might have spotted the Himalayan balsam. It may look harmless, but this invasive beauty is no friend to our environment.
It spread to Eurasia and North America by seeds and boats. The Himalayan balsam originated in India, and has been travelling ever since. It is actually quite easy to eradicate, and it spreads by the seeds, not the roots. Uprooting it from the ground is the easiest way to eradicate it.
The Himalayan balsam is considered invasive due to the fact that it addicts the bees to itself, and interwinds itself with other species. It is actually 100% edible, and has a strange after taste. Now that you know a bit about the Himalayan balsam, it’s time we dig down and discover the REAL point.
We, the grade 5/6 classes from Elora Public School, have nearly, (and probably by now, HAVE) eradicated all the Himalayan balsam from the creek. Now here’s where YOU come in. Step 1: As tempting as it is, don’t “pop” the pods. Step 2: We need to find a place to put the bags of balsam. Step 3: Simply pull your HB out of the ground. Step 4: Congratulate yourself for helping nature!
Sincerely,
Freeman Spencer (and the Green Gryphons)
Freeman Spencer