Wed 5th Aug 2009 - Afton Nature Reserve, Freshwater.

Our first visit to Afton Nature Reserve in Freshwater for some time, helping Bob the Countryside Officer. As usual there were several tasks, the main one being clearance and widening of the footpaths to provide access for a mini digger which will be removing the old damaged boardwalk so they can replace it with a new one, and also to improve access to the footpaths for walkers. This involved a lot of cutting back shrubs, nettles and marsh plants, as well as removing overhanging trees. We also completed a section of path by spreading two piles of limestone chippings, and also removed a section of wall and loaded all the concrete blocks into the trailer. Previous work on the marsh is starting to bear fruit, with lots of plants and flowers re-generating, including the fairly uncommon species marsh fern and marsh marigold.

Carrie’s Nature Lesson - two for the price of one this week, the first being Great Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum), a tall plant covered in soft downy hair, having deep purple-pink flowers with creamy, arched stigma standing proudly from the top of the stems. The opposite, lance-shaped leaves clasp the stem, and in the wild it is found along river banks and in marshy areas. It is an ideal plant for a large bog garden, although it needs keeping in careful check, and is a rich provider of pollen and nectar for bees. Next we have Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium Cannabinum), a plant which grows in pond margins, damp woodlands, marshes, fens, ditches and disturbed ground throughout England. It is a tall erect herb growing up to 1.2m, and from July onwards the stems terminate in large flowerheads of tiny, soft pink flowers which are extremely attractive to insects, including many colourful butterflies such as the small tortoiseshell. The leaves are deeply divided into three leaflets in opposite pairs on the stem, and this plant will tolerate most soils that are not to acidic or dry.

Many thanks to Cub Reporter Carrie for this week's pics and text.

Wed 29th July 2009 - Watershoot Bay.

This week’s venue was beach clearing at Watershoot Bay, where we log all the items found for research and action by the Marine Conservation Trust. It is truly amazing how many bags of rubbish 25 people can fill up in such a short time, and the Rangers’ truck was piled high. The items found are many and varied, including large and small pieces of plastic, rope, nets, polystyrene, abandoned footwear and even a large laundry basket filled with other plastic rubbish. We also found a syringe and a live flare, which the Coastguard had to come and remove before it exploded.

Carrie’s Nature Lesson

Slightly different this week, as while picking up some old plastic I nudged a large cracked rock with my foot and the end fell off to reveal an amazing fossil. The rock was grey chalk, and Trevor from Dinosaur Isle said it was about 100 million years old. The fossil itself was of the genus Pecten, which are Lamellibranch molluscs known variously as scallops and clams. These are remarkable for the beauty of their shells, which are generally brightly coloured and have the surface ornamented with radiating ribs. The two valves of the shell are unequal, usually almost circular, and have the hinge line prolonged into two ears. Bivalves have inhabited the Earth for over 500 million years, and first appeared in the Middle Cambrian about 300 million years before the dinosaurs. Fossil bivalves were formed when the sediment in which they were buried hardened into rock, which it was appears to have happened to the one in the pictures. Many closely resemble living forms, which help to understand how they must have lived.

Many thanks to Carrie & Eddie for the pics and Carrie for the text. Sorry the blog is a bit late this week - the house building and broken wrist are slowing things down a bit.....!

Wed 22nd July 2009 - Osborne Middle School.

This was our second visit to Osborne Middle School, continuing with the work on the pond and around the grounds. The pond has now been fenced and filled with water, so the slabs holding the membrane needed to be moved, and water and bog plants placed in and around the pond. This job generated much entertainment, when Angela fell in and got rather wet (see picture). We also dug over the raised bank, mixed it with compost and planted a variety of wildflowers including yarrow, ladies bedstraw, cowslip and knapweed; and also dug out a border around the edges and planted lots of lavender. There is a bank around the back in which the school want to plant lots of fruit trees, so we cleared the area of the top layer of turf which was put around the edges of the pond, and the cleared space will be dug over and mixed with compost prior to planting.

Carrie’s Nature Lesson

There is already some white yarrow (Achillea millefolium) growing round the pond from the last planting, which is a very versatile and interesting herb. It flowers from June to August with pollination by insects, and the seeds ripen from July to September. It is a perennially flowering plant related to chamomile, and has been highly prized by traditional healers over centuries for its wide range of medicinal properties, particularly its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory actions. It has been used to combat everything from infections and wounds, to digestive disorders and arthritis. It is believed the plant was named after Achilles and according to legend, he used it to help heal the injuries of wounded Greek soldiers and prevent haemorrhaging. The plant is renowned for its effectiveness at speeding the recovery time of wounds, which is thought to be a result of its ability to reduce inflammation and lower the risk of infection.

Thanks to Carrie for the text and phoographs.

Read all about it....! Green Gym meets Royalty.

Many thanks to June & Eddie for the photographs and June for the editorial below.

Wow - and double Wow!

It went very well. We had lots of waiting time beforehand but the Gardens has put us in the Temperate House Reception area to wait so we didn't get rained upon, but we did get a tad hot!

We were wheeled out just before 11 to be corralled near to the plaque which HRH The Prince of Wales was to uncover. I tried to rebel and remove the OTT barricade, but not successfully [we are obviously a high threat to security].

To our rear the County Hall officials were corralled. Eventually when the "party" had walked up into the new gardens and passed their corral they were let loose to run up behind us to make an enormous crowd of about 50 [!!!] to witness the unveiling of the new garden and our award presentation!

The party consisted of HRH POW accompanied by Simon, followed by HRH DOC accompanied by Alan Titchmarsh and followed by dignitaries and Debs who was allowed out of Highgrove for the day and as thrilled as we were to be so honoured.

They turned the corner to face us and immediately the DOC walked up to our barricade and Lee Cooper who held the posy of wildflowers [donated by Garlic Farm, picked by Colin and made pretty by June] and he performed his role to perfection.

He stood to attention and said, "Happy Birthday Mam", he then bowed from the neck and presented the flowers - he was a star and did it perfectly. HRH POW was heard to say, "ah". She thanked him and shook hands. No one could have done it better, well done and thank you Lee.

HRH POW walked up and saw my enormous Welsh Flag and asked, "who's is this" - proudly I said, "mine", and he put his hand out to shake. After doing all the protocol for everyone to follow, I am sorry to say I failed, I saw his hand and instead of saying, "Your Royal Highness" accompanied by a bob, I just said, "thank you", - god what a let down after Lee's perfect performance!.

He asked about Green Gym then he shook hands with Herbie and seemed to know we had contributed to the new garden. HRH DOC followed and shook Lee's hand, then mine, then Herbie's then Maureen's [Mark's mum]. It was all over in a few seconds. Gob smacked is the word/s!

HRH DOC is so much younger and prettier and thinner than her photos depict her to be, and she seemed very shy and retiring, and to come to the Island on her birthday seemed special to us.

The Lord Lieutenant Maj. Gen. Martin White did a very flattering introduction then HRH POW whisked away the IOW Flag to reveal the plaque. Eddie's next door neighbour's daughter [following this? - it is the IOW ] then read out the citation and the POW presented the crystal brick to Mark and spoke as if GG was entirely responsible for the whole of the new garden! He then shook hands with Colin, both followed by the DOC. It seemed to go on for a while, but really was only a minute or so.

As we were behind this damn barricade there was no chance of a group photo with TRH's, which was a shame, but we had a group photo taken with the crystal brick.

We were honoured and very pleased that Patricia Partridge the Dept. Lord Lieutenant came along to support us and be with us. It was Patricia [when she presented the RCC award to GG last year ] who first suggested we apply for the QAVS. She has been a great support all the way through the process and without her we would never have even thought of going in for this.

It was to Patricia, along with Fiona White [Lord Lieutenant's wife] and Sir Guy Ackland [another Dept Lord Lieutenant] that judged the presentation that Colin and June did for the award back in the winter, without their belief in GG and their support we would never have stood a chance of being awarded this honour.

Mark and Colin were very calm and dignified [as to be expected] and did us proud. The weather could have been better but wasn't that bad, we didn't get rained upon but we need coats.

We then retired to the Griffin in Godshill and had a very welcome glass [or three in my case!] of something fortifying.

The crystal brick is quite heavy and is precious [to us anyway] but it is a group award and therefore it is "ours" therefore we shall all get the chance to "own" it for a while.

You can register your interest in taking it to show your organisation or family and it can be arranged that it is brought to you.

It cannot be insured so reasonable care needs to be taken when it goes out and about. Talk to Mark or Colin or June at Green Gym if you would like to follow this up, or ring 866459 and speak to Colin or June.

Eddie took photos, as did lots of people, and they will be on the blog and on cd for everyone to see. I will be going to CP office during the week to see what photos they have and will get copies of any that are relevant to bring to GG.

Congratulations everyone on getting this award and there is more to come, but that is for later - so, enjoy this for now until we organise our party which will include our families and lots of flags [ including my Welsh Flag - well, at least one, need the dragon/s! ].

Thank you to everyone for getting to the Gardens on time today and for making it all so easy to organise, you are all stars!

June.