Abingdon Green Gym Blog

This Saturday's task was to scythe and rake Thrupp Green, part of the Radley Lakes reserve.  It was a huge task, but the eighteen Green Gymmers were joined by several Radley Lakes and Naturalists Green Team volunteers. We set off on the half mile trek along the former railway track, carrying our tools. Once again, it was a beautiful sunny day.  When we arrived at the site, David outlined the tasks.  First we needed to cut a path beside the woodland edge to get down to the main area to be scythed. There was also a lot of sprouting willow to be uprooted. This was a massive task, even with a big mattock. Fortunately, we had brought our tree popper. Meanwhile the scythers got on with scything the main area as well as around the willow trees. This is an area of flat grassland next to a shallow lake. Soon there was plenty to rake up. We piled this in heaps just inside the woodland area. At last it was time for a welcome tea break with plenty of biscuits and other goodies. There...

Blog by Sally.  Photos by Margaret, Michele and Sally On a fine, but cloudy autumnal morning, thirteen Green Gymmers met Steph from Natural England in Cothill School car park.  We donned wellington boots and transferred the tools from Adrian's car to Steph's trailer and we made our way along String Lane to Cothill Fen NNR.  This is a calcareous or alkaline fen, where the spring-fed water percolates through a layer of chalk, thereby reducing the acidity.  These are extremely rare habitats and we are blessed to have a number in Oxfordshire.   The Natural England monthly volunteer party had worked on the Fen the previous day, so Adrian, our leader for the session, explained that there was some raking for us to do and some scything of reed to finish off.  We were also tasked with digging up holly seedlings from the wood, as if they were allowed to grow, they would block out light from the understorey, which would mean fewer bluebells.  Another task wa...

Blog by Eleanor, photos by Julio and Margaret We had a really good turnout for our work party at Matthew Arnold Field - eighteen volunteers in all.  Official plaque Matthew Arnold Field, like several sites on Boars Hill, is owned by Oxford Preservation Trust. We met at the end of Jarn Way and went into the field. While we were waiting for Rod d'Ayala, who manages the site, Barbara gave us a safety briefing. Safety briefing When Rod arrived, he took us over to the far side of the field and showed us what needed to be done. Briefing by Rod There were brambles and bracken by the fence to be scythed and raked up, so some people stayed to do that. The scythers get their scythes ready The rest of us went through the gate into the wooded area and down into the valley fen. here, there was also scything and raking to be done and a lot of sprouting willow needed to be cut down. It was quite tricky to find our way through the gap in the dead hedge and down into the fen. The upper part has a ...