Islay & Jura Invasive Plant Eradication Project Crowdfund Appeal

What we are planning to deliver

Here on the beautiful Hebridean islands of Islay and Jura, we are working to protect and maintain the incredible biodiversity of our natural habitats. Our aim is to deliver an eradication plan for invasive Japanese Knotweed and Gunnera (Giant rhubarb) plants, which pose a significant threat to our unique environment.

These invasive plants can quickly outcompete native species, harming the delicate balance of our island ecosystems. By tackling them, we're helping to safeguard the habitats that are home to so much of Islay and Jura's precious wildlife. Your support will directly fund the essential work needed to remove these plants and help our natural environment thrive.

On Jura, the natural coastal habitat in Craighouse is becoming increasingly dominated by Knotweed and the streams, including the Craighouse Ravine SSSI, has an increasing encroachment of Gunnera.  On both islands natural grasslands and peatland areas are seeing Gunnera plants appearing from seed dispersal by birds. 

Please support our project and share our story with others to help protect these special islands. We are the Islay Natural History Trust (SCIO), a registered charity with OSCR, charity number SC049310 (formerly Islay Natural History Trust SC013713). We are a local charity based in Port Charlotte and have been actively promoting all aspects of natural history on Islay for 42 years.

In 2023 we received funding from the Botanist Foundation to identify and map the main invasive plants Japanese Knotweed, Gunnera (Giant Rhubarb) and Himalayan Balsam across Islay and Jura. In 2024 funding was received to assess the cost of eradication of these plants through a professional mainland company which estimated costs at around £50k per island.   In 2025 the Neighbourhood Ecosystem Fund funded development of a locally delivered eradication plan to reduce the cost and provide specialist pesticide training to upskill 6 local professionals from different areas of the islands as local representatives to deliver the treatment works, so keeping any investment local. There are only a minimal number of people willing and with the time needed to volunteer for such an undertaking and with the need for the treatment to be delivered by people with the recognised training it is therefore not a task suited to volunteers alone.

There are new locations being reported and it may take more factoring these into the programme.  These costs are based on local people taking charge of delivering the programme to cut costs of using outside contractors and keeping the funds local.

 Funds received through the crowdfund process will be divided up equally between both islands some priority will be given to Knotweed since this can be a 4-5 year process to fully treat and eradicate, as well as Gunnera from areas that have shown seed spread will also be targeted.  If the full target is not reached at least a start can be made to prove our commitment as a community and to funders that the project is worth backing.