Wed 25th Jan 2012 - Corf Camp, Shalfleet.

We are not even out of January and we have made our second visit to this site this year! Once again the weather was kind to us, dry and reasonably warm which encouraged a good turnout for this GG session. As permission still hasn't been granted for more extensive work, we were still restricted to hedge trimming, dead tree removal and digging out some of the drainage ditches around this beautiful area. Particular attention was given to the boundary hedge along the approach road and it certainly looked a whole lot better when we came to leave! It is amazing what 30 plus people can achieve in 3 hours on a Wednesday morning. After the work was completed, several GG members were seen to heading down to the creek area, complete with binoculars, to view the wide variety of birds both on the water and the surrounding banks.

Many thanks to Carrie for the photographs this week.

Wed 18th Jan 2012 - Mundsley Bog, Godshill (and Ryde).

Mark's Photograph.

Carrie's Photographs.

This week we had two Green Gym groups working in different places. The smaller group were assisting Helen Butler of the Wight Squirrel Trust to plant some trees in Ryde, and the large group were at an old GG favourite Mundesley Bog. The weather was certainly a huge contrast to the lovely spring day last week at Corfe Camp. Typical January - drizzly, damp and misty, but undaunted the group set about tackling the removal of the bracken which has grown up yet again, and also some of a large willow in one corner of the site. There has recently been some work with a digger to raise the earth level in a couple of places, and it is certainly looking more like a bog than it has done for some time. We did leave some cover near the wooden boardwalk for the lizards, so when they have been basking in the sun on it (ho ho) they still have somewhere to hide from predators.

Many thanks to Carrie & Mark for the text and photographs this week.

Wed 11th Jan 2012 - Corf Camp, Shalfleet.

Only the second GG session of the new year and we are already off to pastures new! Almost anyone who as been a Boy Scout on the Island would have no problems finding their way to the new site this week as it was at the Scout Camp, Shalfleet. This wonderful site is on the eastern side of Newtown Creek and is a wildlife paradise. As it is designated an area of special scientific interest, the tasks we could undertake were suitably restricted so as not to disturb the area or wildlife. A large contingent of GG (possibly 40+) were soon deployed around the footpath areas, lightly trimming back the undergrowth to allow safe access, cleaning out ditches and generally giving the place an early "spring clean". It was an absolute joy to walk down to the creekside and see the numerous birds then to try and find your way back to the central area via the various pathways. The weather was a pleasant 12C with long sunny periods - just how much longer can this mild weather hold on this winter? (I am now taking bets on how deep the snow will be next Wednesday.....!!!)

Many thanks to Carrie for the photographs this week.

Wed 4th Jan 2012 - One Horse Field, Totland.

Mark's Photographs.

Carrie's Photographs.

Let's start with a "Happy New Year!" to all the readers of this blog. After our Christmas break, it was back to work for Team GG and this year our first venue was One Horse Field. It certainly wasn't as cold as it was at the start of Jan 2011 and a good turnout of GG members were soon working off those extra pounds we all seem to attract over the Xmas holidays. Regular readers of this blog will know that we visit this site several times a year and have made good inroads into making what was once overgrown scrub land back into open meadow. We continued with this ongoing project by raking up large areas of scrub (that had been cut earlier) which should reduce the nutrients released into the ground from the rotted down cuttings. This may sound counter-productive but it does allow the natural wildflowers to outgrow the grass and encourages all sorts of insects and wildlife. I will try to post a picture during the summer so readers can see how successful we have been! We had a good turnout of GG members and our tea break was enhanced by trying to eat some of the food that had been left over from the Christmas Bash at Shide....!

Many thanks to Carrie & Mark for the above photographs.