An update from Eleanor (and her grandson!)

By Andrew -
A new recruit for Green Gym?
He will probably be old enough to come on his own by the time Green Gym restarts!
-Eleanor







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jarn Mound and Wild Garden, Boars Hill, 9th April 2016

By Andrew -
Image
This was a new site for us - however, it is not far from our usual work locations at Boars Hill, and it is also owned and managed by the Oxford Preservation Trust. Jarn Mound  was laid-out in the late 1920s and early 1930s by famed local archaeologist, Sir Arthur Evans.  It consists of an artificial mound, 15 metres high, which was originally constructed to enable breathtaking views over to the city of Oxford in one direction, and the Vale of the White Horse in the other.  Significant tree growth in the intervening decades has obscured much of these views, yet the structure remains impressive, and the steps to the top are still in place.  Around this main feature are wild gardens, including rare plants and shrubs and many stone steps, benches and rockeries. Session leader, James, had visited the site earlier in the week with Andy Gunn from Oxford Preservation Trust, in order to discuss what work was to be done.  The overall aim was to begin restoring the gar...
Read more

Old Berkeley Golf Course and Abraham Wood, Boars Hill - Saturday, 8 February 2025

By -
Image
Blog by Sally, Photos by Eleanor, Julio and Sally Despite the dull, grey inclement weather on Saturday, 8 February, 21 people turned out to volunteer at Oxford Preservation Trust's adjoining sites at Old Berkeley Golf Course and Abraham Wood, Boars Hill, including new member, Clare, two volunteers from the Chilswell Valley site, Richard and Denis, and Simon who is one of the OPT volunteers.   Eleanor was our leader for the morning and she explained that one group of people was needed to clear holly seedlings and remove encroaching vegetation such as bramble from the paths in the Wood and also any straying bamboo from neighbouring gardens, whilst the other group would be working under the guidance of Richard Newton, who is the Ashmolean Natural History Society of Oxfordshire's Flora Guardian for the ivy-leaved crowfoot, which is a diminutive plant favouring shallow pools and can easily get crowded out by the much bolder rushes.  This is the only site in Oxfordshire where i...
Read more

Lincombe Lane Field, Boars Hill - Saturday, 2 May 2026

By -
Image
Blog by Sally.  Photos by David, Michele and Sally We had a very good turnout, with 17 Green Gymmers, for our second visit to Lincombe Lane Field, one of the Boars Hill sites owned by Oxford Preservation Trust.  Once again, we were lucky with the weather - it was a beautiful spring day.  We met consultant ecologist, Rod d'Ayala, under whose direction we worked and made our way down the field with the various tools for the jobs which Rod had listed for us.  The field slopes towards the village of Sunningwell.  At the bottom of the field, there is a wood and part of our task is to restore that to fen.  On this visit, however, we were limited in what we could do as it is bird nesting season, so we could only work in certain areas and do limited tasks which meant that we wouldn't disturb any. Rod briefs the group We had three main tasks.  One was to cut and rake the nettle slope, removing any stray hemlock plants.  The second was to dig up hemlock fro...
Read more