Wed 28th Oct 2015 - Pan Mill Meadows, Newport. GG # 608.

Terry(1) and Mark's Photographs.

The tractor cuts….

and we rake up the cuttings!

One of the local residents that we had to rehouse.

Terry's (2) Photographs.

We return to this site about the same time each year to rake-up the recently cut grass and to give the meadow a general make-over. After parking in Matalan's car park (thanks to the parking lady for logging us all in!) it was a nice stroll along the river bank to the meadow. Everyone  commentated on just how glorious the tree leaf colours are this autumn, truly a magnificent sight! The meadow had been mechanically flailed by a tractor so we were to rake up all the cuttings, putting them in a compost heap to the side of the site. The reasoning behind this is to deny the ground the nutrients that would be released by the rotting grass cuttings which will allow the meadow flowers to establish themselves next year, rather than the weeds and brambles. Prior to cutting this year it was noticeable that the ground cover was less than previous years and we certainly had less to rake up - so perhaps we are making a long term difference? Other GG Team members went on a litter-pick, shrub and bramble trimming and giving the whole area a general tidy-up. Although we had a couple of very light sprinklings of rain it was a warm, bright day with sunny intervals, great for the time of year. Perhaps it was due to the venue being central but we had an excellent attendance and having that number of workers ensured the whole area looked much tidier by the end of the session.

Many thanks to Terry 1, Terry 2 and Mark for taking the photographs this week.

Wed 21st Oct 2015 - Arreton Down. GG # 607.

As can be seen from the photographs above, this Wednesday's session was held in the pouring rain with a stiff wind blowing…! The task was to continue the scrub clearance that we have been doing on previous sessions here and…considering that numbers were down a bit (due to the weather) excellent progress was made. A really big WELL DONE to all those who braved the elements and achieved so much!

Many thanks to Sue for the photographs this week.

Wed 14th Oct 2015 - Town Green Recreation Ground, Yarmouth. GG # 606.

A rather overgrown meadow…..

Save the teasels for the birds...

Above and below, part of the new pathways.

The cleared meadow area.

Nature Finds.

A baby goldfinch - found in an exhausted state - moved into a safe area to recuperate.

A Comma Butterfly that seemed attracted to Kevin's jeans…!

A Bright-line, Brown-eyed moth caterpillar.

(also known as the Tomato moth)

Wednesday morning started a bit on the cool side, due to a brisk easterly wind but the GG members who arrived wearing "three layers" were soon taking off the outer ones! The sun was shining and there was plenty for us to be getting on with as it had been some two years since we last visited this venue. The majority of the recreation ground is given over to a football pitch but we were tasked to work along the southern boundary - which has a patch of open natural meadow along with a rather overgrown copse. The team split into two basic working parties, one to give the meadow area a make-over and the second to try and cut some pathways through the woods. The summer growth and bramble was cut down before collecting it all into habitat piles plus areas that had become overgrown with bramble were trimmed back. Come next summer this should allow the wild flowers to thrive rather than the grass and weeds. The team cutting the pathways in the copse decided that it was best to start each path at either end and work towards each other. This sounds good in theory but when hacking your way through dense "jungle" it is easy to divert off course..! With lots of calls of "Over here..!" we managed to meet up each time and by the end of the session the copse had been opened up with several pathways criss crossing the whole area. We even managed to cut some steps into the steeper parts to make it easier for access. A well attended session that achieved an amazing amount in those few short hours - well done everyone!

Many thanks to Sue for the excellent photographs.

Wed 7th Oct 2015 - Flowers Brook, Ventnor. GG # 605.

It was August 2014 when Team GG last visited this wonderful venue. Although windy this time, it was nowhere near as bad as our first visit here, back in February 2014 when it was blowing so hard it was difficult to stand! On arrival we were met by a number of the volunteers who regularly keep the site so well maintained and they pointed out areas that they would appreciate help with. This was basically clearing the steep bank that forms the northern boundary of the site and has the waterfall, stream and pond adjacent. With half of the team cutting back, the others were very busy transporting the material over the water to the three collection points we established on the grass, hopefully to be collected by the council at a later date. Working on a rather uneven surface, sloping some 45 degrees, can be "interesting" but we all survived without any tumbles or twisted ankles…! A question - can we include Russian Vine on our list of "pesky plants"? As can be seen in Sue's photographs, very prolific at this particular site! It is expected that the areas we cleared will allow the numerous previously planted spring bulbs to flourish - should be worth a visit February/ March time to see how successful we have been. As mentioned above, it was windy and rather overcast but it did remain dry for the whole of the session ( which is always a bonus ). With a really good attendance, we managed to make good inroads into completing all the given tasks. Please can we come back to continue….?

Many thanks to Sue for the wonderful photographs this week.