Abingdon Green Gym Blog

Please note that the next Green Gym session on 2nd June, will be held at Manor Farm, Mill Road, Marcham.  The main task will be Himalayan Balsam pulling.  Meet 9:30am in the car park outside Cumber's farm shop. Further details will be provided to members via the usual email before the day.

A glorious sunny day, just the weather to dive into a pond. In some cases literally, as James, leading on the day, managed to fill his wellies. Sunningwell pond had become overgrown and covered in algae and matts of vegetation.   The main task was to remove this and fill the waiting skip with the sludge.   We only had a couple of pairs of waders, so Eleanor, our Duke of Edinburgh Award volunteer, waded in, together with a local volunteer from the parish council.   Those without waders helped to clear the edges and overhanging vegetation.   The outflowing stream also had to be cleared of encroaching weeds. There was an area of rough ground to dig for a wild flower patch. The hedge we planted some time ago and is doing very well, had to be weeded. We also had some volunteers from the local community to help with all the work, which included clearing the ivy from the church wall. The highlight of the day was the wonderful refreshments provided by Bob Evan...

Only four of us, Eleanor, Graham, Margaret and Dieuwke turned up for Green Gym this Saturday, the lowest attendance for about eight years. We were working at Cothill Fen under the direction of Judy Webb and the task was much the same as we had been doing four weeks previously, that is, filling the pools and watercourses with cut reeds to lower the concentration of nitrates coming from the surrounding agricultural land. Before we began work, we went for a short walk to admire the amazing carpet of English bluebells in the surrounding woodland. We then began work on the other side of the fen to where we had been before, raking reeds into the ditch between Cothill Fen and Parsonage Moor and transporting them from a pile on the other side. After the break, we moved over to the other side of the fen and raked there and filled up the pools and ditches. During the morning we saw cowslips and bugle on the edge of the fen, a large number of cuckoo flowers (lady’s smock) in the fen...

Last Saturday, the Green Gym met for another session at the Town End of the Ock Valley Walk to complete the tasks started the previous week. Kevin provides the photos: Work in progress. Eleanor's discover of wild garlic amongst the nettles. Eleanor undefeated surrounded by swathes of nettles. More garlic. Lesley and Ursula taking a brief breather in their endeavours to control the nettles. Our enthusiastic Duke of Edinburgh student keeping up the pace to complete the task! Robert about to run me over in his determination to be wheelbarrow champion for the day! Rosie making sure no nettles even think about encroaching on to the newly laid path, with her skillful swing of the slasher. Job done. A grey heron (photo by Petra).

This Saturday saw us return to the Town End of the Ock Valley Walk.  In an amendment to the programme, we assembled at St Helen's Court rather than behind the Ock Street flats. The footbridge over the weir has recently been replaced, after vandalism of the previous crossing last year. Therefore access to the path is possible from this point again.  A second change to the programme saw Sally replace Eleanor as session leader for the occasion.  Fourteen Green Gymmers assembled at the appointed spot before heading off towards the work site to receive instruction for the tasks ahead. The weather was dull and somewhat chilly, in sharp contrast to the almost summer-like conditions enjoyed during the previous outing. The main job was to add another layer of woodchip to the path through the trees.  The council had left two piles of chippings at opposite ends of the route. With a pair of wheelbarrows and Colin's trolley to shovel the material into, we set about distribut...