Withymead Nature Reserve, 3rd May 2014

By Andrew -
This was our first visit of the year to Withymead Nature Reserve (Anne Carpmael Trust) by the Thames near Goring. Although it is quite a long way from Abingdon we try to get there two or three times a year as it is one of our favourite places and there is always a variety of tasks to do. All the lift arrangements worked out well so we arrived in good time. Sonning Common Green Gym were also there plus the first Saturday of the month Withymead regulars including two young D of E award volunteers.

One of the tasks was erecting a post and rail fence and Robert, Kevin, Victor and Laura chose this.  The rest of us went off to do pond digging, lopping, nettle slashing and pulling up nettles by hand in the wild flower area so as not to damage the more desirable flowers. As you can see from the photos, the weather was wonderfully mild and sunny and the first half of the morning passed quickly. It was quite a luxury to have our tea and coffee at the picnic tables outside the study centre and it gave us a chance to chat to the other volunteers.

We had chosen a day that was just right for seeing the summer snowflake flowers, also known as Loddon lilies, in full bloom and before we started work again, a group of us made our way down through the garden to the riverside to enjoy the wonderful sight of endless sheets of these flowers growing in the flooded and marshy areas by the Thames. Withymead is probably the best place to see Loddon lilies, which are quite rare in this country and grow in only a few places in southern England.

Then it was back to work again and by the end of the morning we had achieved quite a lot. The wild flower area certainly looked better without the nettles. Nettles are good in moderation as they support some types of butterfly, but they are inclined to take over. Before leaving we talked to the Sonning Common volunteers about a joint session at Cothill Fen near Abingdon in July and we look forward to seeing them there.

Our thanks go to wardens Keith and Dorothy for welcoming us to Withymead and organising such a large group of volunteers of all ages so well. If you want to see more photos, they will be on the Withymead website within the next few days www.withymead.co.uk
-Eleanor

Digging a pond with Sonning Common Green Gymmers

Slashing Nettles

Victor, Laura, Robert and Kevin building a fence

Pulling up nettles by hand

Enid and Petra enjoying a tea break in the sunshine

Acres of Loddon lilies

Viewing the Loddon Lilies (wellies essential!)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pinkhill Meadow Nature Reserve, Farmoor Reservoir, 16th March 2019

By Andrew -
Image
Another week, another new site for the Abingdon Green Gym! We met at the car park at Farmoor Reservoir, a healthy turn out of 17 of us, including French father Sebastien, and his eleven-year old son, Maelo, who was joining us for a school project. The session was led by James under the instruction of Hanna Jenkins, the warden of Pinkhill Meadow Nature Reserve, so called because it is right on the banks of the River Thames, just near Pinkhill Lock. It was another blustery day. Will this crazy wind ever let up? We followed Hanna in convoy round the edge of the reservoir, which was choppy to say the least, and parked up on the other side where it was thankfully a little calmer, the high banks of the reservoir providing some shelter. Equipped with our tools, gloves and goggles, we made our way onto the spot on the nature reserve where we were to do our work. Hanna told us that the reserve had been formed in 1991, but some aspects had been neglected over the last ten years. The aim...
Read more

Kennington Memorial Field, 29th October 2016

By Andrew -
We have been working at Kennington Memorial Field for a number of years now, clearing scrub from the slopes so that the valley remains an area of grassland and wild flowers. This time Rachel from Oxford Preservation Trust was in charge and led us down to the lower end of the field, where we were to cut back the trees and bushes by several metres and burn the scrub on a bonfire. We were joined by some families with children of varying ages, the youngest only three, who had answered a local appeal for volunteers. We set to work and soon we had a bonfire going. Even the children who were too young to use loppers and saws joined in, carrying branches to the bonfire pile. Despite the drizzly weather they all worked cheerfully. At tea break time we enjoyed some delicious snacks that Rachel had brought and a tin of chocolates supplied by Michele. We found two old birds' nests in the course of the morning and cutting back the scrub revealed a log pile with a rabbit hole under...
Read more

Jarn Mound and Wild Garden, Boars Hill, 12th November 2016

By Andrew -
Image
Four weeks after our last session with the Oxford Preservation Trust at Boars Hill, we returned, albeit at Jarn Mound this time rather than the Elizabeth Daryush Garden; which had been our venue in October. We again met with  Rachel Sanderson of the trust, who along with our leader of the day, James, outlined the tasks for the morning.  Primarily, we were to clear the mound itself of scrub and tree saplings that had taken root there, with the intention of restoring it to its original state.  There were also some flatter areas of the garden that required clearing, for the less intrepid among us. Unfortunately, the day had begun a little on the inclement side.  Indeed as we arrived, the rain fell persisently, making many of us wonder if the session would go ahead at all!  But of course, the Green Gymmers are renowned for working whatever the weather, and the damp conditions did not deter us. A couple of problems were immediately evident due to the rain...
Read more