Two Pine Fen, Frilford Heath Golf Club, 13th March 2018

By Andrew -
Some hardy Green Gymmers, who couldn’t get enough of it on Saturdays, assembled for a session at Two Pine Fen on Frilford Golf Course.

The task was to rake off the dead vegetation and thatch from the area, under the direction of Judy Webb, to allow the Spring and Summer flowers to come through. The reason that we have to do a midweek session here is that the area is in the range of flying golf balls so we have to come when it is not so busy and part of the course is closed for maintenance. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to come back and see the wild flowers, such as orchids, unless we take up golf.

We found that the fen was wetter than in previous years, which is a good sign, though there were a lot more oak leaves to rake up, which must have blown over from a nearby wood.

We piled the raked vegetation up near the stream that runs through the fen. Rod d’Ayala is going to dam the stream so the water can spread out on to the fen, and will use the raked material to fill the channel.

We worked hard, with a tea break at 11 o’clock and didn’t have to retreat to the shelter of the trees too often to avoid flying golf balls. Some of us had to go home at midday but several people stayed on until four o’clock to get the job finished.

We are really grateful to the people who give up their time to put in extra work during the week.
-Eleanor

Photos by Sally and Eleanor:

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