Abingdon Green Gym Blog

 This weeks blog was a joint effort between Eleanor D and Sally Today we were at Dry Sandford Pit, split into two groups to tackle separate areas on the site. One of the tasks was to clear scrub from an area in front of one of the cliff faces and from around the fence and gate opposite the cliff face. Adrian and Jim set to work scything the bramble around the gate while the rest of our group worked below the cliff face. The scrub consisted mostly of bramble and blackthorn and fortunately we had a tree popper, which enabled us to uproot some of the blackthorn. We then transferred it to the existing brash piles. We were working at quite a distance from the fen group but we met up for our tea break. By the end of the morning we had finished most of the cutting, but there always seemed more to do, and we had to remind ourselves to stop in time to transfer the cut material to the brash piles. Then it was back to base camp to meet up with the other group and carry the tools to the car park

This weeks' blog was written by Eleanor D Just seven of us met in the Youth Football Club car park, the fewest there have been at a session for some time. The tasks were to tidy up the wild flower bed, extend it a bit and sow new seeds. Of course, there was litter picking to do as well. Carolyn, Kevin and Harry nobly took on the task of litter picking. As you see from the photos Kevin took, they found an old bird’s nest and a small animal skull. Meanwhile, Joan and Graham set to work raking the area around the wild flower patch, where there were a lot of fallen twigs and branches and Rosie and I dug up nettles in and around the patch, trying not to disturb the plants coming through. We then started to dig out new patches for the seeds we had brought. This was surprisingly easy as the ground was very soft as a result of the recent heavy rain. At tea break time the faithful few were rewarded with chocolate biscuit and marshmallow refrigerator cake. Then it was back to work with more

 This mid weeks session blog was written by Sally On 6, 7 and 14 March, Abingdon Green Gym and friends (Rich, Richard and Mike) returned to Two Pines Fen on Frilford Heath Golf Course SSSI for the spring cut and rake and to remove stands of willow.  This particular area of fen is bounded by the green and red golf courses and we can only work on it mid-week.  On 6 and 7 March, the green course was closed for maintenance so we were able to work on that side and focussed on a hard rake, whilst others dug up willow using a mattock.  On 7 March we concentrated on cutting the area of rough, rank vegetation on the opposite side of the track to create favourable conditions for seeds that require light to germinate.   On Tuesday, 14 March, we returned to the site when the tee for the 16th hole had been closed again for us so that we could work on the area of fen that had been brush cut but was in need of a further cut to remove stubble and rake the thick layer of thatch.  It was hard work but a

 This weeks' blog was written by Kevin  There were 14 volunteers who could make the session at Boars Hill. There are 6 sites in this area, so we know the location well and enjoy working on all of them.  This session was on Matthew Arnold field, where we were to push back and clear encroaching brambles and Blackthorn that restrict the grass and flowers from growing, also there had been horses grazing in the past there, so giving them more food.  Once we found a location for all our equipment, we split into 3 groups,  3 Scythes clearing a low bramble patch that had returned after we had cleared a few years ago, another larger group tackling a well established growth of brambles on the edge of the field and a clump near by.  The final group of 2 volunteers equipped with a very handy gadget to pull new blackthorn shoots which were branching out from the hedgerow and a mattock to loosen the roots that seem to stretch for ever.  The weather was cold and cloudy but the rain kept off, plus