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Hampshire architects swap desks for waders to help clear invasive plants from the River Test

Staff from ArchitecturePLB spent a volunteer day in Whitchurch removing Himalayan balsam and monkey flower from a chalk stream habitat in the Upper Test Valley.

By The TEA Editorial Desk · 28 August 2026

ArchitecturePLB staff volunteering beside the River Test in Hampshire Image: ArchitecturePLB / Hampshire ChronicleOriginal source

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A team of architects in Hampshire traded office work for a day on the riverbank, helping volunteers clear invasive plants from the River Test.

Staff from Winchester-based ArchitecturePLB worked in Whitchurch’s Upper Test Valley, removing Himalayan balsam and monkey flower from areas around Orchid Meadow and a nearby stream.

The volunteer day brought the practice together with Whitchurch Conservation Group, Whitchurch Millennium Green Trust and Wessex Rivers Trust. Both invasive plants can crowd out native species and alter the balance of riverbank habitats if they are allowed to spread unchecked.

The team said a single day produced a visible difference. It is also a useful example of how businesses can lend time and practical labour, not just money, to local environmental work already being led by community groups.