Hinksey Heights - Saturday, 2 November 2024

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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 and Sally who had also brought their scythes.  We amassed a number of stray golf balls, which we took to the Clubhouse for them to sell on for practice.

Break time was very welcome and we shared cake to celebrate Rosie's birthday, before getting back to it.  It was soon time to down tools but lots of passers-by seemed very pleased with the progress we had made and we look forward to returning here to continue the good work at some time in the future. 


At the start of the area to be cleared - Kevin and Carolyn in action

Dieuwke pulling up nettles

Kevin and Carolyn on the war path

A lotta lotta loppers

Jim scything


Autumn is the time for fungi - a good find by Roger

Carolyn and Kevin hard at it

Another blackthorn "popped" by Roger

Break time!

Barbara busy scything

Rosie on the attack

Eleanor lopping bramble

James, Barbara and Dieuwke happy in their work

Ursula and Eleanor clearing away

Progress made!

The beginning section of the Nature Trail after Jim's scything





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