This week saw the Green Gym on their second visit to Ryde Cemetery, and some 35 plus people turned up on a dry if somewhat cool and windy day. Our task was basically to continue with the clearance work we were doing on our previous visit, and judging by the huge pile of cleared vegetation we did a super job! The cemetery is really starting to look good and is certainly worth a visit, if only for the amazing amount of historical information on the gravestones which give a fascinating insight into the local community. There appear to be many service personnel remembered here, this time we discovered a Knight Commander of the Bath and someone who took part in the Maori wars of New Zealand at the River Waikato. This river, whose name means Maori for “flowing water”, was the scene of several skirmishes between the British and the Waikato tribes in 1863-65.
Carrie's Nature Lesson.
This week’s fascinating find by Peter was a Woodlouse Spider (Dysdera Crocata - see picture), which are common in southern England, but can found as far as southern Scotland. They are approximately 10 to 15mms long, can vary in colour from creamy-grey to red-brown and their abdomen has the size and appearance of a baked bean. They live under logs, stones and anywhere woodlice might be found, and are one of the few spiders with fangs strong enough to pierce through the hard outer shell of woodlice - hence the name”.
Many thanks to Eddie & Carrie for the text and pictures.
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