Wed 28th Jan 2009 - Parkhurst Forest, Newport

This week we were back in Parkhurst Forest and despite a very wet and misty start, the luck of the Green Gym prevailed and by 10.00 it was nice and dry if a bit soggy underfoot. There was a choice of tasks to choose from, the first being to continue the clearance work around the car park we started back in 19 November last year, the second to cut back the growth along one of the footpaths to improve access and lastly to clear the encroaching trees and scrub from in and around a fairly large pond.

Carrie's Nature Lesson.

Yet another fungi was discovered (see photo), which is probably a Stereum gausapatum (Bleeding Oak Crust), which has a fruiting body in the form of small tiered brackets of 1-4cm across, with a tough and leathery thin flesh. The upper surface can be ochre-brown to greyish with a finely hairy white margin, while the lower is pallid to dark chestnut and bleeds red if cut when fresh. Its habitat is on stumps, logs and fallen branches of deciduous trees, especially oak, and is not edible.

Many thanks to Carrie for the photographs and text.

Wed 21st Jan 2009 - Naturezones, Blackwater.

Naturezones in Blackwater was this week’s venue, which was last visited by the Green Gym in April 2008. The excellent turnout was good, as there were a variety of tasks to be tackled. A substantial compartment (posh word for area of woodland) required coppicing as the woodland in general needs work, but various licences and permissions have had to be obtained as the area is a SINC (Site of Importance for Nature Conservation). Now these have been received, it is intended to split the woodland into compartments and coppice one each year over about ten years. Other tasks included raking up loose hay in a stack (to be used to keep weeds away from the new trees), digging out thistles and although we did a lot of stream clearance on our last visit, it is beginning to get silted up with leaves again. It is definitely getting milder, as one of the trees by the stream already has catkins growing.

Editorial and photographs supplied by Carrie.......many thanks to her.

Wed 07th Jan 2009 - Mundsley Bog Godshill.

Happy New Year to all you Green Gymers and our other readers....have a good one in 2009.....!

The first Green Gym of 2009 was held at Mundsley Bog, Godshill. What a better way to work off those few extra pounds that we have all put on over the festive season. The morning was very cold but everyone soon warmed up once the work started. The work in this area is ongoing and we have made several visits there during the last and previous years.

Many thanks to Eddie for the pictures.