The invasive species project workshop on Ascension in March this year generated a number of actions for the project to take forward. In order to encourage community involvement these actions will be presented to the public for information and comment. A key action for Ascension was to identify areas and implement control of Mexican thorn (Prosopis juliflora). This invasive plant dominates the landscape of the lower elevations of Ascension.  Its eradication was deemed to be impractical and possibly not desirable within the scope of this project, however its presence and incursion into specific areas is unacceptable in terms of the negative impact on human activities and Ascension’s biodiversity. The following list of proposed control areas was drawn up by the workshop participants. Removal strategies and working protocols have been established during a recent clearance operation at the hydroponics facility. Do you disagree with any of the areas identified? Please let us know. If you have any comments or questions on this on any other aspect of the project, contact the project officer for St Helena and Ascension (adarlow.sais@helanta.sh).

Proposed areas for Mexican thorn control: