Wed 26th Nov 2008 - Alverstone Mead.

This week saw us at one of our regular sites, Alverstone Mead. The weather stayed dry, and our main task was to clear a path on one side of a stream from the metal bridge into the field along to the hide itself. We also removed some bits of old fence and a few sycamores, stacked all the willow we removed for John to utilise for hedging, and also trimmed some previously cut willow into manageable pieces.

Many thanks to Carrie & Eddie for the pics this week and to Carrie for the editorial.

Wed 19th Nov 2008 - Parkhurst Forest.

If you go down to the woods today, You're in for a BIG suprise.....!

Yet another new site for the Green Gym, helping the Forestry Commission in Parkhurst Forest. Another fantastic turnout on a surprisingly mild and sunny, day, with over forty members beavering away. The new Commission warden for the Island Michael Pittock was on hand to go through our task, which was basically to remove small trees which had self seeded, including turkey oak to let more light into the area. They are hoping this will increase the diversity of wildlife, especially the pearl bordered fritillary butterfly, which is only found here in the Forest.

Many thanks to Carrie & Eddie for the photographs and Carrie also wrote the editorial.

Carrie's Nature Lesson.

This quite attractive golden brown fungus is one of the milkcap family, either a Curry Scented Milk Cap (Lactarius camphoratus) or Lactarius sphagneti. Both are small agarics with reddish brown caps, yellowish gills and exuding watery milk They are solitary or in extensive scattered groups on soil under conifers. The second is a member of the bracket family (of which there are approximately ten varieties in Britain), and this one is called Jelly fungi or jelly rot (Phlebia Tremellosa). It produces fruiting bodies which look like shapeless blobs of jelly or in shapes such as “ears” or “tongues”. It is rather like dry rot, and can be found on the ground as well as on trees.

Wed 12th Nov 2008 - Broadlea Primary School Lake.

This week saw the Green Gym at a new site, Broadlea Primary School in Lake. A superb turnout again on what was a beautiful sunny day, and the school has a lovely setting with views up to Ashey Down and the Seamark. Our first task was to cut back overgrown trees and hedges, and the second to clear their pond of weeds and surrounding bramble. It was amazing when it was all cleared to discover a very nice pathway at one edge and also some steps, neither of which had been seen for some time. Our third task was to erect a post and rail fence, in an area felt to be unsuitable for the children to play, where the pond overflows and becomes very muddy. We planted some additional saplings between the two areas of fence, and it will now be left as an area for wildlife.

Many thanks to Carrie & Eddie for the pictures and to Carrie for the editorial.

Wed 05th Nov 2008 - Ventnor Botanical Gardens.

The venue for the Green Gym this week was Ventnor Botanic Garden and the task - one of the things we do best - slash and burn, working in the Coastal Flower Meadow where we did some work a few months ago. Although the field has been cleared with the tractor, there was still an area that required bramble and tree removal and we had two bonfires going at the same time. Apparently they have tried to cultivate wild flowers here without much success, so the intention is to plant hops! Perhaps we will have a new beer known as “Green Gym Brew”. Another excellent turnout, with an amazing amount of clearance done in a couple of hours.

Many thanks to Carrie and Eddie for the photographs and text.

Carrie's Nature Lesson.

This week the GG Team were very observent and spotted the fungi pictured below.



“Trametes Gibbosa, also known as Lumpy bracket, is semicircular with a hump found singly or in groups. It is smooth and greyish white, sometimes coloured green due to algae growth. Its habitat is on dead deciduous trees, especially beech, is found all year round and not edible.

Ganoderma Applanatum, common name Artists Bracket is hard and corky with a knobby upper surface, and not edible. It is often pallid, grey brown, umber or cocoa coloured, and causes intensive white rot on dead trees.

Trametes Versicolor, sometimes known as Turkey Tail, is one of the most common types of bracket fungi, and so called due to the banding pattern on the fruiting bodies which looks like a turkey’s tail. It is generally dark to light brown sometimes with coloured bands of orange and maroon, and can be strikingly beautiful, also not edible.

Tremella Mesenterica known also as Witches Butter or Yellow Brain Fungus. The colours are from yellow to orange, and it starts as small jelly-like nodules which expand into a multi-folded brain shaped mass - it is poisonous”.