The second shift at Ealing Wildlife Group Photo Exhibition Grand Opening brought us a task which was a cross between patrolling and greeting 👋👮. Sevan and Kash used the green hi-viz to re-brand themselves as Ealing Willdlife Group volunteers and were strolling along the main path in Walpole Park with veiled artwork. Their job was to welcome people curious about the signs covered with black bin bags and tell them about the event.

They didn't have much luck at the beginning. Although they were smiling and making eye contact with passers-by, they didn't seem to capture enough attention. Maybe the covered photo prints with no logos didn't seem to be associated with the EWG vests GoodGymers were wearing? Maybe Sevan and Kash should have applied more salespeople's tactics? They eventually got someone interested in their pitch after that person's 3-month-old puppy 🐕 enthusiastically ran to them and rolled on its back in excitement, waiting for cuddles.

Today's EWG volunteer boss, Emma, decided to change GoodGymers' posts to more strategic positions. Now Sevan and Kash acted as funnelers, directing the exhibition visitors to the back of Rickyard where the event was going to take place. They grabbed some beaver project leaflets and placed themselves on two paths leading to the Rickyard café. That move was spot on. They gained much more of the public's attention and seemed to be in just the right spots as the arriving visitors were interested in the event and were looking for the entrance which was hidden at the side of the café.

Kash met some familiar faces, including the dad of one photographer whose works won second and third place in the young artists' category. In the meantime, Sevan picked up a side quest. Jo from LAGER Can had knitted an Ealing Wildlife Group postbox topper that had been recently installed on a postbox on Elers Road, so Sevan was sent to run and take a photo of it. As a reward, he found out who was the creator behind the Ealing charities postbox toppers. Maybe GoodGym Ealing should get one as well?

The final task of the shift was Sevan's and Kash's speciality: destruction 🧨. Three minutes before the announcement of the contest winners, the GoodGymers had to perform the "grand unveiling" in practice and undo their work from the morning. They unleashed their inner beasts and ripped the bin bags covering the art of the posts.

Sevan and Kash still managed to get on time to Rickyard to hear Sean, the leader of EWG, announcing the winners in each category and the overall contest. Second place went to Anna from Friends of Grove Farm, who captured the beauty of the hidden nature reserve in a winter landscape photo 👏 Grove Farm in North Greenford is a surprisingly stunning and calm woodland which GoodGym helps to maintain together with Friends of Grove Farm and LAGER Can.

If you'd like to see the woods and support Anna's and other volunteers' efforts, come and join us in October for a monthly litter pick and the conservation day.