Blog by Sally, photos by Sally and Eleanor
We enjoyed a glorious day of sunshine on Saturday, 1 March - the first day of our spring 2025 programme also marked the first day of meteorological spring and St David's Day. Our programmed session found us at Frilford Heath Golf Course, itself a site of special scientific interest due to its complex geology, which has formed calcareous fen and heathland, and consequently for the specialist flora and fauna which thrive in these different conditions.
7 Green Gymmers turned out - a much lower number than in recent weeks, due partly to the clash with Clubs & Societies Day (and not being able to be in two places at once!) and also people being away. It was rather a frosty start, but the sun soon burned it off. We split into two groups, with two trained scythers (Jim and Denis) working with consultant ecologist, Rod d'Ayala, on Boundary House Fen, and 5 people working with Dr Judy Webb on an area where the Maiden Pink (Dianthus deltoides), is hanging on for dear life with only one plant recorded here last year. It is a small pink (ie a carnation) with beautiful fuschia pink flowers, but it is being out competed by gorse and bramble. The Green Keepers had been out and cut back the gorse and bramble and our task was to start the long process of digging out the bramble roots, the gorse being too difficult for us to manage and Judy wanted us to concentrate our efforts around the spot where the Maiden Pink was last seen. Judy said she wanted the site to look as though a sounder of wild boar had been foraging after our efforts. Our concern about disturbing the seed bank was assuaged by Judy, who assured us that, like poppies, the Maiden Pink has long-lived seeds which thrive on soil disturbance.
We first started by raking up leaves, which also made it easier for us to distinguish the bramble stems left poking above the soil:
We then set about digging to expose the bramble roots using spades and mattocks and we also used the tree poppers to help extricate as much of them as possible. Roger's favoured implement was the mattock. Soon, layers started coming off as we warmed up in the sun. Luckily, as he was digging, Roger spotted this lovely female toad just in time and we were able to relocate her out of harm's way. It has been too chilly in recent weeks for many of our amphibians to make it to their breeding ponds as they favour milder, damp conditions, and we were sorry to have disturbed her:
The site is next to one of the tees, so we had to periodically stop in our work for groups of golfers, who were grateful when we moved out of their sight line. Many of them stopped to ask what we were doing and it was good to know there was so much interest.
Margaret and Lesley taking a pause
It was thirsty work, and we enjoyed a very welcome break in the sunshine:
Break time!
Re-energised, we returned to our rootling. It was very satisfying when we managed to pull out the whole root system.
Can you dig it? Yes, she can! Lesley digging for victory
And so can he! Roger mattocking out the brambles
With an eye on the clock, after digging out as much as we could, we raked over the area before we packed up our tools to leave the site, hoping that the spring sunshine and longer days will ensure the successful germination of any Maiden Pink seeds. Judy will return in the summer to do a count.
The "Super Six" by the heap of bramble roots - thanks to the lovely golfer who offered to take one of us all together
The darker forefront marks the cleared area, with the bramble heap on the right hand side of the patch
Once the digging tools had been packed away, Judy and Sally made their way to Boundary House Fen to join Jim and Rod, having said good bye to Denis (who'd been scything with Jim) and the digging crew, for a spot of lunch followed by some scything. Judy found a mosaic puffball (I think she said), long past its best, which had a number of flight holes caused by an invertebrate - possibly a beetle or a fly:
It's a race to get as much cut and raked off as possible before everything takes off, allowing optimal conditions for the rare calcareous plants to flourish, which need light
Clubs and Societies Day
Abingdon Town Council had arranged Clubs and Societies Day, which happens every two years. Our Committee decided we would have a stall to promote Abingdon Green Gym and Eleanor volunteered to organise this. She, along with James and Ursula, manned it. Other Green Gymmers were helping other great causes, too, but the event was spread out in a variety of venues around town. Eleanor had produced some posters of our recent sessions, showing the type of work we do, where we do it and why, which were displayed on our boards and had leaflets to hand out as well. Here are James, Ursula and Eleanor and our wonderful stall:
A great day, all round!
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