Wed 21st Oct 2020 - Treefields Pond, Ryde. GG # 833.

 Alison's Photographs.

Mark's Photographs.

Graham's Photos.

Mark's Editorial.

What a wet start we had today, rain, which started during the previous night, gradually ebbed away though and the sun peeped through by the finish. So we certainly got plenty done. 

The pond is an important water body for wildlife in the Ryde area, and can be seen from the Treefields entrance or from the end of Spencer Road. We set about exposing the path and raising the canopy of the overhanging trees growing around its perimeter. In addition of course the pond was dredged of Parrot's Feather. This is a highly invasive non native pond weed, also called Brazilian Milfoil, which tells you the region it would be native too. If left it would quite quickly swamp the native flora and can deplete levels of oxygen in the water and cause shading.

We also litter picked and trimmed around the site's fenced boundary.  It was good to return here.

Many thanks to Alison, Mark and Graham (welcome to GG..😃) for managing to get some photographs in spite of the rain ⛈.

Wed 14th Oct 2020 - Pan Mill Meadows, Newport. GG # 832.

The site information board for today's venue.

All busy raking it in...😀.

For this week, we returned to an old GG favourite... Pan Mill Meadows at Newport. At this time of year we are tasked with gathering in the previously cut summer growth which then denies the soil the nutrients from the rotting down cuttings and gives the meadow plants a head start next spring. It is always a pleasure to work at this tranquil spot which is situated between the main road and the town plus the weather held good with blue skies and sun 👍. Perhaps it is the central location that gets Team GG members along but it is invariably a well attended session and this one was no different. Raking (wet) grass is never the most exciting task but it certainly gives you a good upper body work-out, even if you do wake with a sore back the next day...! Good progress was maintained throughout the morning so a big "Well Done" to all those who attended.

Mark did mention that he didn't yet have anything planned for next Wednesday but, as per usual, keep an eye on your e-mails for further updates.

 

Wed 7th Oct 2020 - Flowers Brook, Ventnor. GG # 831.

The session always starts with a Team GG brief..!

Working on the beautiful waterfall.

A wide variety of tasks undertaken, some shown below.

Mark's Photograph.

 

Once again, Mark managed to come up with a suitable venue that would allow us to have a "proper" GG session whilst satisfying all the recent Covid-19 regulations... well done Mark..! Around 15 of us found our way down to Flowers Brook and were soon busying ourselves working on the stream, the pond and of course.. the waterfall. The weather was blue skies and sunshine with around the seasonal average temperature for this time of the year so perfect working conditions. Once again we managed to clear a path through the dense undergrowth that surrounds the waterfall area and the full drop can now be viewed from the top path. This is always a wonderful site to work at and even more so after so many weeks being cooped up inside having to use Zoom every Wednesday morning.

Mark did mention that next week's session may be held at Pan Mill Meadows but that is still to be confirmed due to ever changing Covid regs. Watch your email in tray for further updates.

Take care everyone and stay safe 😷.

 

Wed 30th Sept 2020 - Millennium Green, Ryde. GG # 830.

 Mark's Photographs.

Working on the Butterfly Meadow.

All tidy and ready for next spring.

'We had 2 groups of 6 this week working on the Green. I must say it was lovely to be back, it is a super site. The meadow had obviously been abundant with flowers earlier in the year as there were seed heads aplenty. Some flowers still hung on, this is a scabius shown above.

This though is the time for a cut and rake off of the season's growth and while one group of spacially distanced volunteers set about doing that another dispersed around the site's many paths and trails to cut back encroaching vegetation where needed. 

It was completed just as the weather was changing, lucky for once!'

Many thanks to Mark for the editorial and photos this week.👍