Abingdon Green Gym Blog

Blog by Sally.  Photos by Julio and Sally On Saturday, 23 November, six intrepid Green Gymmers set out for Boundary House Fen on Frilford Heath Golf Course SSSI despite the threat of rain and heavy gusts of wind heralding the arrival of Storm Bert, where we met up with Dr Judy Webb and Rod d'Ayala under whose direction we worked. The weather had not deterred all golfers, either.  After making our way back along the track and down the path at the side of the fairway with our tools, we made camp in the usual place near the tee at the road side end of the Fen.  JimB had gone on ahead with his scythe and by the time we arrived with the rest of the tools, he had already started scything where we left off last time.  Rod explained that our task today was to cut as much of the rank vegetation (mainly rush, sedge and reed), which we then used to pack into one of the ponds that had been created on the fen and also the ditch that runs in the middle.  The intention is to r...

 Blog by Eleanor. Photos by Michele, Sally and Eleanor It was a really good turnout, 17 volunteers for our work party at Sunningwell. We were pleased to welcome Simon, an OPT volunteer, who had been at Boars Hill the previous week. Bob Evans, a resident and pillar of the village community, welcomed us and outlined the tasks. One was to dig patches in two areas on the green for the planting of wildflower plugs. Another was to make two gaps in the hedge running up the middle of the green, which we had planted some years ago. This would involve clearing a lot of brambles. An important task was to do hedge laying at the far end of the green. This is a skilled task and Sally and Simon were the experts, so off they went with Michele and Margaret as helpers. One more task was to clear nettles by the stream near the gate and Kevin volunteered for this task. Kevin working by the stream Some people began work on the mound. Helen, Henry and David set off to dig a patch higher up the field whe...

Blog by Sally.  Photos by Kevin, Michele and Sally On Saturday, 9 November, we returned to Jarn Heath, one of the Boars Hill sites owned by Oxford Preservation Trust, to continue clearing work along the bridleway and to clear one of the glades in the wood (which used to be heath) in order to improve biodiversity by removing bramble, bracken and nettles to afford light to the ground storey for other plants to flourish.  Kevin was our leader for the session and we met in Jarn Way next to the Mound, which is a popular spot for walkers.  There were 13 Green Gymmers afforced by three OPT volunteers and we made our way along the section of bridleway nearest the Mound where we'd last worked in August and past the glade that we'd cleared to the stone bench, where we made our camp. Kevin had met Rod d'Ayala, the consultant ecologist for OPT, who had given instructions about the areas that needed clearing and he showed us where to start.  Rosie, Margaret and Barbara scythed th...

Blog by Sally, photos by Eleanor, Roger and Sally 12 Green Gymmers turned out on a fine but a little bleak day on 2 November at Hinksey Heights led by Kevin, so we had to leave the gorgeous views of the Dreaming Spires of Oxford normally afforded to users of the Nature Trail to our imagination.  We met in the Golf Course car park and made our way to the start of the Nature Trail, where we had been asked by the landowner, John Brimble, to clear encroaching vegetation (mainly nettles, blackthorn and bramble) away from the Nature Trail path. Our expert scyther, Jim, stopped just after the gate to the path to clear the right hand side, opposite the wild flower patch whilst others made their way through a wooded area.  We set up camp in a wide area of the path and using the tree popper to pull up young blackthorn, scythes, saws and loppers we made lots of headway (literally!)  Jim soon joined the main group and proceed to clear vegetation away from the fence along with Barbara...