People in west Wales are being encouraged to help protect their rivers from invasive species of plants.

A new partnership project, launched by Natural Resources Wales’s Four Rivers for LIFE in collaboration with the West Wales Rivers Trusts (WWRT), calls for volunteers to mitigate the threats posed by invasive non-native species (INNS) on the Teifi, Tywi and Cleddau rivers.

INNS can be defined as non-indigenous animals or plants that propagate and inflict damage to the environment, economy, human health, and lifestyles.

The project aims to eliminate the invader species, primarily the pervasive Himalayan balsam plants.

Over three years, volunteers will work along these rivers, removing these plants and stymie their drift downstream, specifically in six tributaries.

Volunteers aged 16 or over who have a penchant for conservation and an eagerness to work outdoors are encouraged to apply.

Their tasks could range from a few hours to a few days a month.

Participants must be open to travelling to the Lampeter, Llanybydder, Llandovery, Llandeilo or Haverfordwest areas.

Volunteers can control their pace and, in exchange, acquire practical conservation skills and knowledge in plant identification.

They will contribute to a broader control tactic to halt the invasion of such species along their rivers.

These rivers are categorised as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and are internationally recognised for their unique wildlife and plants, including Atlantic salmon, lamprey, shad, otter and water crowfoot.

The rivers' conservation from the invasive INNS is a key objective of the volunteering work. The INNS plants have become widespread across the UK.

West Wales Rivers Trusts chief executive officer Harriet Alvis said: "Volunteers already make a vital contribution to the protection of our rivers and are an integral part of the solution in the longer term."

Sarah Jewell, a current volunteer with the WWRT, encourages participation stating: "Being out along the local riverbanks with a group of likeminded others who want to do something practically useful to help protect this precious ecosystem has a positive effect on everybody’s sense of wellbeing, community and connection."

Four Rivers for LIFE project manager, Susannah Kinghan expressed her thrill at supporting the WWRT in providing these volunteering opportunities.

She said: "We are delighted to be supporting WWRT to offer these volunteering opportunities.

"This is a chance to be part of a dedicated team and make a genuine contribution to environmental conservation."

Prior analysis over the last two years has detected dense clusters of Himalayan balsam, American skunk cabbage, Japanese knotweed and Giant hogweed near these rivers.

There are about 150 INNS present in Wales.

Further information about the volunteering project and how to register interest can be found on the West Wales Rivers Trust website.