Abingdon Green Gym Blog

 Blog by Eleanor, photos by Kevin and Eleanor Only ten Green Gymmers came to this session at Old Berkeley Golf course, next to Abrahams Wood on this cold and occasionally drizzly morning, but we were joined by Richard, an Oxford Preservation Trust volunteer, so that made an extra scyther. We made our way down to the bottom of the field, where Rod d'Ayala briefed us on the task. The aim is to rewet the area by building dams along the ditch so the water will spread out across the field. Rod briefs us on the task Rod instructs Simon The dam While the scythers set to work scything the grass and rushes, a task which we had last done in August, the rest of us moved the piles of cut bushes down to the ditch where Simon spread them out. We then had to move the existing heaps of cut grass and rushes and place them on top. Carrying a load Kevin moving a load Carolyn and Dieuwke with a drag sheet  Working by the ditch When we had moved the existing heaps, it was time to rake the vegetati...

Blog by Kevin.  Photos by Julio 11 Green Green Gym regulars including our leader, Kevin, who had kindly stepped in, came along to Hinksey Heights to do some hedge laying and blocking of gaps in the hedge to deter walkers from inadvertently straying onto the new nine-hole golf course at Hinksey Heights, which was causing safety issues for them and the golfers.  We had done this before a few years ago but it was time to block the gaps again.   We were able to park a short way from the work site to unload the equipment, which made it easy for the team to get going.  We disturbed a green woodpecker on the walk to the site and watched red kites in the sky, with the lovely view of Oxford in the background, which made a pleasant start to the morning. There were two main gaps and few minor ones on the farmer's field side that needed our attention first.  These had been marked out on a previous recce with John Brimble. Using the branches and brash that the Greenkeepers h...

Blog by Sally.  Photos by Eleanor and Sally A perfect dozen turned out for our session at Southern Town Park, led by Eleanor, on Saturday, 11th October.  We met in the car park off Lambrick Way and made our way over the football pitches to the wildflower patch that we started a number of years ago, including with free native wildflower seeds from Kew Gardens under their Grow Wild scheme. Our main tasks were to scythe the wildflower patch and rake up the cut vegetation and put that on top of existing habitat piles.  This also has the advantage of reducing the build-up of nutrients as most wild flowers prefer poor soil.  There were also some fallen branches which we needed to cut up and we used these to mark the sides of the pathway, as well as do a litter pick.  We are now well versed in the Council's requirements to only put glass and plastic bottles and cans in the clear sacks and everything else in the blue ones. The wildflower patch before the cut and rake El...

 Blog by Eleanor, photos by Kevin, David and Sally Our task this session was to work at Thrupp Green, part of the Radley Lakes area. Radley Lakes consists of former gravel pits, most of which were filled with fly ash from Didcot (formerly coal fired) Power Station, apart from Thrupp and Bullfield Lakes, which were saved from this fate. Kevin was our leader, but David Guyoncourt was in charge of the project. Thrupp Green consists of a shallow lake bordered by a wet meadow and our task was to scythe and rake up reeds, grass and melilot, a bushy plant in the pea family, which has taken over a large part of the area. By cutting this back, we hope to encourage more plant diversity and open up areas suitable for ground nesting birds such as lapwings. We had quite a long walk along the old railway track, carrying our tools, but at last we arrived. The weather was dry and quite sunny, but with a brisk, gusty wind. Arriving at Thrupp Green Before photo - a massive task ahead Melilot The scy...