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Barton Fields Annual Hayraking and stacking - Saturday, 26th August 2026

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Blog by Eleanor - Photos by Julio This was our annual hay raking and stacking session in Barton Fields. The wildflower meadow had been cut by machine on Wednesday, and David and the Abingdon Naturalists Green Team had raking sessions on the Thursday and Friday, but not many people were available, so on Saturday it was Green Gym to the rescue! Wildflower meadows thrive on poor soil. If the soil is too rich, grass dominates and out competes the wildflowers. At the end of August, when the flowers have shed their seeds, the meadow needs to be cut and the cut material raked off as soon as possible, otherwise too many nutrients go into the soil. The task looked really daunting and the weather was not promising, dull and rather drizzly, but not the heavy downpours we had feared. Fifteen Green Gymmers turned up, led by Barbara and Dieuwke, plus some Green Team volunteers. Arriving on site Busy in the field We set to work, piling the cut vegetation on to drag sheets or pitchforking it on to hea...
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Jarn Mound and Bridleway, Boars Hill - Saturday, 22nd August 2026

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Blog by Sally.  Photos by Julio, Margaret, Michele and Sally We returned to Boars Hill on another sunny morning, to work on Jarn Mound, off Jarn Way.  This is a site owned by Oxford Preservation Trust and over recent years we've been working with their consultant ecologist, Rod d'Ayala, to help restore the site to its former glory.  Sixteen Green Gymmers turned out, led by Kevin. Rod led us to the foot of Jarn Mound, where we set up base.  We could see that he had been busy with his brush cutter and we were asked to rake this up and clear overgrowing vegetation from the steps that lead to the top of the Mound, as well as along the footpath, so that it was more welcoming to visitors. Rod instructed the group on the tasks that he wanted us to do, which also included making a start with clearing vegetation from both sides of the adjacent bridleway between Jarn Way and Ridgeway, so that it was wide enough to conform with the recommended width to allow two horses to pass ...
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Matthew Arnold Field, Boars Hill - Saturday, 15th August 2026

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Blog by Sally.  Photos by Julio, Margaret, Michele and Sally Refreshed after our annual picnic last Saturday, we returned to Boars Hill to work on Matthew Arnold Field, another site owned by the Oxford Preservation Trust.  Kevin was our leader for the session and we worked under the direction of consultant ecologist, Rod d'Ayala. Jim was asked to scythe a patch of bramble in the wooded area so that we could set up base camp in the cool of the shade and without the risk of getting prickled!  Although it was not as hot as it had been recently, it was rather warm in the sunshine. Rod explained what he wanted us to do.  There was some scything of the bracken/bramble and area of long grass that the farmer who had mowed the field had left and in the wood itself, paths needed to be widened and also bramble and bracken to be scythed, and further down in the valley, emerging scrub (mainly willow) needed to be removed.  Those scything near the base camp were asked to be c...
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