Matthew Arnold Field, Boars Hill, Saturday 4th March 2023

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 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 the benefit of working hard, as we always do, soon had some of us peeling off our layers of clothing. 

By the end we had made a significant improvement, but with still some more to do next time. 

Eleanor and Joan cutting brambles

Carolyn raking up brambles

lovely ladybird :)

removing blakthorn with a tree popper





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