Frilford Heath SSSI, 14th July 2012

By Andrew -
This Saturday we held a joint Green Gym session with Sonning Common Green Gym at the SSSI site at Woodhaven, Frilford Heath.

Many hands were needed to clear the vast swathes of Himalayan Balsam before they started seeding and with twenty-five people from the combined groups, we were able to make good progress, though much remains still to do.

The weather alternated between drizzle and heavier showers and after such a wet summer ,the area was very muddy and the ground boggy. When we stopped for our break, we had accumulated several large mounds of balsam.

Having fortified ourselves with tea and coffee served from folding tables for a change and large quanitities of delicious cake, we continued with our task and the difference we made showed in the before and after photos.

It was good to renew our acquaintance with members of the original Green Gym and for some of our new members to meet them for the first time. We hope to join them next year on one of their sites.

A few of us made our way to the Millets Farm cafe, dreaming of hot soup, only to find that, due to the influx of other cold, wet customers, the soup had just run out.
-Eleanor

Photos by Margaret:
work commences


signs of progress being made





Members of Abingdon and Sonning Common Green Gyms pose beside a large mound of cleared Himalayan Balsam

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