This week saw the group visiting West Wight Sports Centre again, and the area in front of the sports centre we planted previously looks terrific. It was a lovely sunny day (big change from recent weather) and we had an excellent turnout of 30+ people. There was a lot of work cutting back and pruning all the areas around the Centre, and also digging over a very scruffy bed in the car park, laying a membrane, replanting and finishing off with wood chippings.
While digging up the bed we discovered over a dozen of a very strange looking bug (they were all carefully re-buried elsewhere), which were actually cockchafer larvae (Melolontha Melolontha). These are white with a brown head, and equipped with a strong pair of pincers for chewing through roots. The black area at the tail end is a fermentation chamber, which helps the larvae to digest their food. If you pick one up it might make a squeaking sound, which occurs when it rubs a row of pegs on its hind legs against its middle legs.
Due to the increasing success of our Green Gym group, we were joint third on a list of some thirty community organisations, to receive additional funding of £500 from the Rural Community Council, so well done to all of us. The Group are also being put forward for a Queens Award for Volunteering, so watch this space!
While digging up the bed we discovered over a dozen of a very strange looking bug (they were all carefully re-buried elsewhere), which were actually cockchafer larvae (Melolontha Melolontha). These are white with a brown head, and equipped with a strong pair of pincers for chewing through roots. The black area at the tail end is a fermentation chamber, which helps the larvae to digest their food. If you pick one up it might make a squeaking sound, which occurs when it rubs a row of pegs on its hind legs against its middle legs.
Due to the increasing success of our Green Gym group, we were joint third on a list of some thirty community organisations, to receive additional funding of £500 from the Rural Community Council, so well done to all of us. The Group are also being put forward for a Queens Award for Volunteering, so watch this space!
Many thanks to Carrie for both the editorial and the pictures this week.
Blogmaster's Note. Reading through the (smaller!) pages of the County Press, it looks as though certain GG members are in competition with Alan Titchmarsh to see who can get the most photographs in the paper....! Also a big congratulations to Ollie.....well done!
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