Short report today as I write these on the walk back and I had to eat an ikea hotdog and enjoy being outside. Soo…

Today’s task was to make our way along the path on the viaduct cutting back anything encroaching onto the path. Some artistic license was taken but overall we made the path more usable (no pictures as evidence as I forgot though some pictures of the day thanks to Frances). Today’s top questions, is that a strawberry and would you eat those mushrooms? I’m going maybe and hell no! The perfect weather to be out with the dappled shade and great company.

Until next time…

Armed with small snips. big snips and panthers (and later a tree popper) one team headed up onto the viaduct. The main task was to remove sycamore but we also got some ash and there was some rogue nettle head removal! We also popped sycamore and the odd cherry while we were up there (👀). Surprisingly breathtaking. A highlight was seeing some ladybirds emerging from hibernation and some robins and chifchaffs (apparently one bird says chiff chaff and it isn’t a call and answer type of thing where one goes chiff and the other goes chaff).

Team spruce made what can only be described as light work of tidying the mosaic area where we started. The amount of work looked like it took more than an hour but apparently was really quick! (Will leave Mel to fill in more detail here…)

All that was left was to have the customary tea, biscuit and chat before heading off into the glorious sunshine.

Until next time…

Those brambles are horrors!

Hi everyone reading this. I'll keep this brief as its lovely and sunny outisde today. Almost feels like spring!

Todays task was three-fold. The first was continuing the chopping up on the slope we started last time. Once again we were supervised by the fox who by now we count as a part of the group (just needs the tshirt). The second task was to give the Moon Temple a haircut to prevent nefarious activity. Lastly a clear of the undergrowth overhanging the pavement. Phew.

What a lovely morning to be outside. The customary tea, biscuit and chat at the end and we said adieu.

Until next time...

Are you a mountain goat? How fire retardant are you? Two very different conversations.

Today’s task was hill-areas. We had to scramble up the hillside cutting away brambles to allow other wildlife to flourish. All of this while a fox looked up at us from a garden where it was basking in the sunshine. You wonder what it was thinking. Footholds were like gold dust and once you found a good one you were reluctant to give it up. The feeling of finding a new one though is hard to put into words.

After an hour-ish of developing our ankle and foot muscles we called time. Time for some tea and sweet treats before heading on our way. As a group I think we came up with enough words that rhyme for the title?

Until next time…

A new task today as we headed up onto the viaduct to do some clearing. But first we were introduced to the panthers. Not leopards or jaguars but rather special gloves (picture attached).

Up to the task. As an amuse-bouche we trimmed a tree so that it was overgrowing the path less. Snip snip, saw saw, done. One glove for the bramble chop, one glove is all you need. We donned a panther each (probably best they weren’t wild cats) and cleared brambles adding them to the dead hedge as we went. After an hour-ish we called time.

All that was left was to try one of the lovely samosas with a warming drink. What a glovely morning, not as cold as forecast and a great new task.

Until next time…

It was a drizzly old morning at Royate Hill but 10 GoodGymers came out in force to help the Nature Reserve with some bramble cutting back. Once we had all convened, Martin showed us to the location for today's work: a very steep, brambly (and now wet and muddy) slope. The brave (/crazy) GoodGymers made their way straight down the slope while the more sedate/sensible ones went the road route. We were split between loppers and rakes, and got to work cutting back the brambles and then raking them into unused area. The task was a great core workout, as we precariously tried to keep our footing in the mud and wet while chopping and raking.

Martin promised we could come back to help with their other location once the baby goats were born and we headed merrily on our way!