Having not personally been to the St Mary’s Forest School for a few months, I was impressed by how much it has changed and turned from a blank canvas to an exciting space with a number of reshaped and themed areas, helped in no small part by a number of recent GoodGym visits.

Upon arriving this week our team split into two groups, with group 1 continuing last week’s efforts formalising the pathways around the emerging gardens many features & areas, whilst group 2 prepared other areas for cultivation with wildflowers. These pathway preparations again entailed the shifting of a top layer of wood chips to reach and also flattening of the earth below, so that weed-controlling membrane could be laid.

Meanwhile, by torchlight, group 2 were raking through and clearing the flower beds-to-be before deftly scattering wildflower seeds and treading them into their new home. As if to support the seeds’ settlement in-situ, we were even treated to a light passing shower mid-task!

Meanwhile, drawing on last week’s experience, group 1’s pathway work was proving swift and efficient as multiple section of membrane were laid and the top-chips returned before being spread and levelled. A final all-hands effort saw additional wood chip harvested from neighbouring areas to ensure the new paths received a good and even covering.

We will return to St Mary’s again next week to continue on this exciting project – who knows what further changes we will see then..!