Wednesday 20th May 2026 - Merstone Stream, Blackwater GG #1081

 Terry's photos

Raring to go...

He's so happy!!

Hurray!  We’re back to pulling Himalayan Balsam!  We have visited this site for quite a number of years now and can definitely see a difference.  The first half of the morning was spent looking for HB and finding very few.  However, just before our tea break we struck gold and found two dense patches of HB (probably from just a couple of plants that had seeded).  So after the tea, biscuits and chitchat we returned to those two areas and cleared them.  Access to the plants is quite an issue so planks are used to cross the stream, silty muddy areas negotiated and brambles and nettles subdued.

After our session we held our AGM in the events room at PC’s Café in Watergate Road.  Fourteen of us attended – thank you to all for your support.

Thank you to Terry for the photos and to PC’s Café for accommodating us.

Wednesday 13th May 2026 - Newclose Cricket Ground, Newport GG #1080

 Terry's photos

It was a good central location for us all today – Newclose Cricket Ground, just outside Newport.  We were tasked with helping to keep the beds and borders under control.  They had been left untended for quite a while, so the weeds and brambles were rampant.  We were hampered by hard, dry ground and the weather today!  It was very windy and we had both rain and sun.  The team set-to and accomplished quite a tidy up. 

Thanks to Newclose Cricket Ground for the refreshments and to Terry for the photos.

 

Wednesday 6th May 2026 - West Wight Sports Centre, Freshwater GG #1079

 Terry's photos

We returned to the West Wight this week for only the second time this year.  This time we were at West Wight Sports Centre, last visited a year ago.  We were asked to help manage the beds and borders surrounding the site.  The team set to work and cleared weeds, trimmed shrubs and had a good tidy up. 

The Sports Centre is a vital part of the community, and it was very busy – a lot of people passed by and were kind enough to comment on our work.  We were also visited by three ex GG-ers – it was great to see them and have a catch up.

Thank you to WWSC for the refreshments and to Terry for the photos.

Wednesday 29th April 2026 - Play Lane Millennium Green, Ryde GG #1078

 Terry's photos

A really beautiful morning – we enjoyed the warm sun dappling through the new green of the leaves and lots of birdsong.  There were several jobs lined up for us by the Trustees of PLMG.

The pendulous sedge is beginning to overtake the area around the pond at the bottom of the site, so we were asked to remove as much of it as possible – this will be an ongoing task as it self-seeds readily.  There was a pathway which had been created as a result of the work undertaken through the winter and it needed blocking off.  As can be seen in the photo a habitat pile/dead hedge was created to solve this problem. 

Two of the Trustees strimmed the green area parallel to the bridleway and the grass cuttings were raked up and used as a mulch in the hedgerow.  The canes that remained in the hedgerow from its initial planting were also removed.   

Close to the ‘mother’ oak tree in the middle of the woodland was an area that had become very boggy.  The water courses through PLMG alter and possibly as a result of other work we had done this area was now very wet.  The team got to work and dug trenches and lay pipes to help divert the water through the area. 

Thank you to Terry for the photos and to Rose (PLMG Trustee) for the biscuits.