Wednesday 10th December 2025 - Horseshoe Trail, St Helens GG# 1060

 Terry's photos

Mark's photos

This week we returned to the Horseshoe Trail in St Helens, last visited in November 2024.  The trail is a loop through some lovely woodland to the west of St Helens.  There were several tasks for us to undertake so GG-ers split into various small groups around the site.  There was a copse of hazel that needed coppicing – once cut the material was stacked into habitat piles.  There was also a significant amount of non-native plants within the woodland such as bay, cherry laurel and lonicera which required our attention, and again this material was stacked into piles.  At one of the two entrances there is an area where trees have been planted by local children.  This area was becoming overgrown with bramble, so this was also cut back.

As a bonus a red squirrel was spotted at break time and a woodpecker was heard.  The morning stayed fine and dry which was very welcome after all the recent rain.

Many thanks to Terry and Mark for the photos.

Wednesday 3rd December 2025 - One Horse Field, Totland GG #1059

 Terry's photos

Jelly Ear or Jew's Ear Fungus

We returned this week to One Horse Field in Totland.  We were assisting Gift to Nature Ranger Jon with the management of a hedge along the northern boundary.  This hedge is to be laid, and we were asked to prepare it prior to laying.  This involved tidying up the hedge so that all the healthy upright stems could easily be accessed, so as much bramble and dead wood was removed as possible.  Any branches that protruded from the hedge were also cut.  Most of the cut material was put into a dead hedge and some may well be burnt at a later stage.    

After all the recent bad weather, we were very fortunate to enjoy sunshine and blue skies.

Thank you to Terry for the photos and Simon for the biscuits!

Wednesday 26th November 2025 - Flowers Brook, Ventnor GG #1058

 Terry's photos

The cascade from below before.....

and after.....

and from above....

This week we returned to possibly our favourite site – Flowers Brook in Ventnor.  We have been visiting this site for many years and helping the Ventnor Enhancement Fund volunteers.  Today we had the most beautiful weather with a calm sea.   As you can see from the photos, there has been a considerable amount of work improving the path that runs above the brook.  The original coastal path has fallen away, the remains of which are closed, so the path now continues on a bridge over the brook and along the new path which then joins up with the steps up the cliff.

We were asked to clear brambles at the bottom of the cascade and further along the path.  The greenery along the brook was also tidied up.  The cascade itself is dry at the moment as any water in the pool is being diverted down the side and under the cascade.  A few of our team worked at the top and cleared away the encroaching plants.  The water in the pool was then encouraged to fall over the lip in the correct place. 

A few of us were fortunate enough to spot an eel in the brook.

Thank you to Terry for the photos.

Wednesday 19th November 2025 - One Horse Field, Totland GG #1057

 Terry's photos

Today was the first really cold session of this winter!  Hats, gloves and layers were definitely the order of the day to help us cope with the initial rain and the nippy wind….

We were assisting the Gift to Nature rangers with their management of this lovely site.  They were using their ‘flailbot’ to cut the grass along the western edge of the site.  To reduce the nutrients going back into the soil we were tasked with raking up this cut material which was then stacked it into hibernacula (Latin for ‘winter quarters’).  As the morning wore on, the rain ceased as we gradually worked eastwards.

Thank you to Terry for the photos.