Wednesday 16th October 2024 - Play Lane Millennium Green GG #1003

Terry's photos

 Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)

Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

Devil's-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis)

This week we were back in Ryde again, working at Play Lane Millennium Green.  This is a ‘green lung’ and open space for local residents and wildlife.  We were asked to work in the Butterfly Meadow, cutting back and digging out (where possible) the encroaching brambles.  The site was also given a general tidy up.  A variety of flora and fauna were found throughout the session.

Thank you to Terry for the photos.

Wednesday 9th October 2024 - Appley Park, Ryde GG #1002

 Terry's photos

This week we were at Appley Park working with the IWC Tree Officer.  The area that is designated a wildflower meadow had been cut and we raked off the cut grasses, which was then put onto a habitat pile.  Further to the east of the site poplar was cut back to help maintain the grass areas.  It was a beautiful morning and many GG-ers found it very warm work! 

Thank you to Terry for the photos.

Wednesday 2nd October 2024 - Birchmore Pond GG #1001

 Terry's photographs

Alison's photographs

Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) resting on its larval foodplant, the common nettle

Common puffball compared with Colin's size 9 welly

This week we were based at Birchmore Pond, undertaking what we hope is the last Himalayan Balsam pulling session of the year.  We worked along the cycle track, from within one of the fields and from the waterway itself.  We had pulled along this area earlier in the season and were a bit surprised to find as much as we did.  It just shows how tenacious this plant is.  Hopefully, we have made a difference, and it will be interesting to see next year how much HB returns.

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This week marks a change in the old order as we wish two of our GG-ers a fond farewell. 

Firstly, to Geoff who is leaving the Island for the West Country.  Geoff was one of the original Green Gymmers and when GG became an independent group Geoff took on the job of Treasurer and continued in that role for many years.  We wish you all the best Geoff, and thank you for visiting us today and supplying the biscuits.

Secondly, to Bob the Blog.  As may have read last week, Bob has stepped back from editing the blog after a mighty 1000 editions.  Thank you, Bob, for all your hard work and for keeping new and old GG-ers informed of our activities.  We wish you and Gizmo a happy GG retirement and many happy walks together.

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Continuing the blog……

GG Blogger will take over from Bob the Blog, and hopes to carry on the high standard he maintained.  However, GG Blogger needs your input and collaboration!  We would welcome contributions from you…..  if you have any knowledge or interest in one of our sites or flora and fauna we may find, then please put fingertip to keyboard and write a short piece for the blog – it would be appreciated.  Please send contributions to:  info.iwgreengym@gmail.com  Thank you

Thank you to Terry for the photographs.

 

 

 

The 1000th Edition of the Green Gym Blog.

  

Sometime during 2006, Mark and myself started talking about trying to publish details of the Green Gym sessions on the, then new, digital media. With Facebook & Twitter still in their infancy, the only easily available platform was something called “Blogger” so it was decided that I should investigate the possibility of using it to produce a weekly digital newsletter for Green Gym. Those of you who know me will realise just how difficult an undertaking this might prove to be as I am  probably the least computer literate member of the group,,,! After many, many, failed attempts Green Gym blog number 1 was finally published under the rather grand title of……

Tuesday 14 November 2006

"FROM LITTLE ACORNS...."

The plan was for members to contribute articles, that may be of interest to others, for publication. To a certain degree this did work out (who remembers Carrie’s wonderful Nature Natters?) but it was often left to myself to try and make something as mundane as Pesky Plant Pulling sound interesting…!

Now, some eighteen years later we have reached issue number 1,000 - so it appears that the little acorn did finally grow into that mighty oak. Over the last 18 years the blog has had almost three quarters of a MILLION hits, far more than I could have ever imagined when we started it..! Because of medical & personal reasons, I find that I can no longer get along to the Wednesday GG sessions but have continue to edit the blog. Having reached this milestone, I feel it is time to hand it over to someone who attends regularly and perhaps has the technical ability to publish it on multi media platforms thereby making it available to a wider audience. Anyone interested in taking on such a challenge should contact Mark.

I would like to thank Mark for his enthusiasm and support over the years along with  all those who have contributed to make it the success it has become. A particular mention goes to Alison and Terry, their editorial and photographs have allowed the blog to continue. Finally, a big thank you, the readers, for “tuning in” every week…… which has made my task worthwhile.

In closing, I would like to borrow a line from that famous comedian, Ronnie Barker…..

“It’s goodnight from me and it’s goodnight from him” (him being Gizmo 😃).