Abingdon Green Gym Blog

Blog and photos by Sally We returned to Matthew Arnold Field at Boars Hill on Saturday, 20th September to continue the work of clearing bramble, bracken and saplings which are encroaching the acid grassland and, if left unchecked, would take over by preventing other plants from flourishing.  Kevin was our session leader and we worked under consultant ecologist, Rod d'Ayala's, direction.  There were ten Green Gymmers, three of whom scythed the bracken and bramble.  It was a little chilly to start with, but we soon warmed up. Rod briefing the group The area of the field to be cleared Pulling up bracken  Rod asked the scythers to cut areas of bracken around one bramble thicket, which it was decided to leave as habitat and continue working along the fence line. Rosie scything  Pulling up bracken, whilst Kevin in the background digs up tree saplings using the tree popper and a mattock Rosie and Barbara scything a mixture of bracken and bramble Ursula, Joan and Dieuwk...

 Blog by Eleanor, photos by Julio This Saturday we were at Dry Sandford Pit, managed by BBOWT, where we had been asked to work on the fen area, clearing scrub, which was mostly sprouting alder. We had been warned that there were now cattle grazing on the site and a notice warned dog walkers to keep their dogs on a lead. Adrian gives a briefing  We made our way to the grassy area above the fen and made our encampment. A gap in the barrier which is intended to keep dogs and people out, had been left to allow cattle through. Carrying saws and loppers, we made our way on to the fen to start work. It wasn't as wet as we feared and the weather, though cloudy, was fairly mild. Into the fen Working Soon, we had many piles of sprouting alder. Some had grown into saplings and needed saws. A bovine visitor We started carrying and dragging the heaps of cut branches and piling them up at the entrance to the fen. Tea break After the break, some people chose to cut back brambles round the ed...

 Blog by Eleanor, photos by Eleanor, Sally and Julio. There were two tasks at Frilford Golf course, where Boundary House Fen is located. The main one, under the direction of Rod, was to scythe reeds on the fen and rake them into heaps the second, requiring only two helpers, was to go with Judy Webb to an area on the edge of the golf course and clear an around some maiden pinks, which she is hoping to establish there   -   more on this later. The rest of the group made their way down to the fen to meet Rod. Briefing from Rod Two of the scythers were asked to cut the hemp agrimony behind the holly and down to the leat (open watercourse). The other 3 scythers were asked to cut along the leat, avoiding large patches of marsh lousewort. The fen before The team working Julio and Rebecca raking A big heap Tea break Towards the end of tea break, the maiden pink party joined the main group to help with the fen work. After photo We found quite a lot of thistle galls. Thes...

 Blog by Eleanor, photos by Julio and Michele This Saturday we were at Cothill Fen, supervised by Steph from Natural England. We usually work on the fen itself, but this time we would be working in the woodland behind the fen, on the eastern side. We made our way along the board walk, which was the easy bit, then we turned into the woodland, which was quite wet and muddy, climbed over a fallen tree trunk and arrived at the area where we would be working. The task was to cut back the trees, mostly hazel and hawthorn, to make semi circular glades alongside the path. This would let sunlight in, to encourage wild flowers and insects on the edge of the wood. We had to pile the branches into the wet ditch on the other side of the path. This would help to wet the woodland. It is important to have a border of wet woodland surrounding a fen. Also, we needed to do the work before the area became too wet and muddy in the Autumn and Winter.  The woodland before A couple of people went bac...