Larkin's Lane, Headington, Saturday 12th of November

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This week's blog post was written by eminent chair Eleanor D.!

This site in Old Headington, managed by Oxford Preservation Trust, was a new one for us. It consists of a long abandoned allotment site, which will be transformed into a nature reserve.

    There were only nine Green Gymmers at this session, but we were joined during the morning by some local residents. The site was completely overgrown so the work was only just beginning. Charlie from OPT listed the tasks that needed to be done. Vegetation had to be cleared from the path leading down to the site, widening it sufficiently for working cars to get down there. Adrian had already done some cutting back, so there was plenty of material to be carried down to the site, where some people set to work constructing a dead hedge at the top end bordering the back fence of the neighbouring garden. There was also a huge amount of bramble by the gate, which needed cutting back and an old compost bin made of palettes to be demolished. The scythers set to work cutting down the vegetation, which completely covered the area. What wasn’t needed for the dead hedge was made into habitat piles at the edge of the woodland bordering one side of the site.


    We were glad of our break, but there was still plenty to be done. We were joined by another resident and a family, whose children helped to carry the cut materials down to the dead hedge, despite having no gloves.

By the end of the morning we had made good progress and the area was looking more manageable and full of possibilities for a nature reserve open to the public. On 25th November, author Sir Philip Pullman will plant a tree to inaugurate the site.

The team getting stuck in

Blue skies 

Autumn colours










So much neater! 



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