Dry Sandford Pit, Saturday 8th of October, 2022

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This Saturday, the Abingdon Green Gym team were at Dry Sandford Pit. With bright blue skies and little breeze, it was a wonderful morning to don our favourite pairs of wellies and wade out into the SSSI fen. As we arrived, avid scyther Jim spotted a fox slinking off, and a large muntjac deer. Eleanor D. was our leader for the session, and by the bench which overlooked the fen she gave us our instructions for the day. Our task for the morning was to cut back as many saplings as possible, and to use the cut materials to build up the dead hedge.

    The fen was a little tricky to navigate with its hidden rocks and squelchy mud, but since the dry weather of the summer there was not so much water as to make it unnavigable. The team split into two halves to tackle the fen from two sides, and everyone worked hard to tiptoe their way through the fen and ferry their cuttings to the side. 

    There was lots of sunbathing at breaktime in the autumn sun as we all sat around and had our drinks and snacks. The second half of the session was then mostly occupied with weaving the cut saplings in and out of the pre-existing dead hedge, making sure that no members we trapped in the fen as we closed off the gaps! 




Fungi foraging

Spot the green gymmers

Autumn colours

Shaggy ink cap

The sun shining down on the Dry Sandford stream



Sunny breaktime

A beautifully formed dead hedge 

Jim escapes 

The last few minutes before the gap is closed

An autumnal fen 

A little lilac fungus


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