Wed 23rd Feb 2022 - Afton Marsh. Freshwater. GG # 873.

 Terry's Photographs.

This week we were back at a site we have worked on several times before but not recently... Afton Marsh. Where the footpath crosses Blackbridge Road there are a number of bamboo thickets and our job was to cut back as much as possible in the time we had. Any of the canes cut, if over 6' long, were put aside for use as garden canes and smaller pieces were saved for making bug hotels. Such was the density of some of these clumps of bamboo that it really was like hacking your way through the jungle. No Koala bears were spotted during the session. 😀 The weather was kind until after tea break when it started to mizzle (a word used by Carol Kirkwood, of BBC weather fame, to describe very fine rain)

Mark mentioned several possible venues for next week's GG, including the Riverside Centre at Newport. Best to check your email box closer to the time for confirmation.

Many thanks to Terry for taking the photographs this week.

Wed 16th Feb 2022 - Haseley Manor, Arreton. GG # 872.

 Terry's Photographs.

The pre-session briefing.

GGmers learning to salute 😀.

Coppicing.

Hacking into the jungle (pathway..!)

A nice view of the manor house.

What a neat and tidy job...well done 👏

The cleared pathway.

This week we were back at Haseley Manor to continue the work we started there a couple of weeks ago. This time the majority of the work was concentrated on clearing an existing pathway / track that runs adjacent to the main Arreton - Horringford road and coppicing around the pond areas. The team split into two groups, attacking it from opposite ends and then meeting towards the middle. Terry's excellent photographs show just how overgrown some areas were 😀. Good progress was achieved although there is still plenty of work to be done here to get things really sorted. The weather remained dry throughout the session but it was extremely windy, a sign of what is to come when we have two named storms arriving over the next 48 hours..!

A Note From Mark.

Video showing a drainage ditch that Mark and Colin were working on....

Remember those bat boxes we made when working down at the Folly..? They have now been installed...👍.

Storm Euclid.

If we get a call to do work at Northwood House then perhaps Mark might invest in some new bow saw blades... tree damage after the storm...LOTS to cut up..!

Next week's session will be held at Afton Marsh, Mark will e-mail details closer to the time.

Wed 9th Feb 2021 - Bouldnor Forest, Yarmouth. GG # 871.

 Terry's Photographs.

Poised and ready to roll...!

Cutting the bonfire area.

Gorse TREES...!

Tea break and a moment to take in the views.

Keep that fire burning...!

Just look at that sky.. not bad for February..!

It has been a while since GG visited this venue but, great to be back. The car park is down a long private track to the north of the main road but once you are out of the car and through the trees then the Solent from Yarmouth to Cowes is the panoramic view that greets you....truly stunning. Well, as nice as it is to look at the scenery, we were there to do a job and that was cutting down the gorse that grows so prolifically there. It was a little disappointing to see just how much has sprung up since our last visit but, in true Team GG spirit, we were soon cutting and burning across a wide area. Attendance was good and the weather was, once again, amazing for this time of year 👍. Excellent progress was made....just a few more acres to go...😏.

A Note From Mark.

I took a few snaps of the gorse as I was interested in discovering if we were handling two types. You can see the Gorse (furze) in the forgroundand Dwarf Gorse behind. The dwarf has smaller and more flexible spines.

I joked though that we were to think ourselves lucky getting free acupuncture whilst Green Gyming this week.

Many thanks to Terry for taking the photographs.

GG next week will be back at Haseley Manor, where we will continue with what we started a couple of weeks ago.

Wed 2nd Feb 2022 - Haseley Manor, Arreton. GG # 870.

 Terry's Photographs.

A map showing the manor buildings and the area

where we would be working for the session.

The pre-session brief, held in one of the historic

outbuildings.

What a lovely setting for a tea break..!

Time to pack all the tools away, another good job done.

Bob's Photographs. 

For many Green Gymers, our visit to Haseley Manor today was a new experience, to the ones who have been around for a while, it was a return visit. The last visit was some time ago....in fact 2007..! (See this link for details Haseley. 2007.) We all met up in the spacious car parking area before being invited by the present owner into one of the many historic outbuildings where he gave us a background to what has been done there over recent years plus a rundown on what our tasks were. Put simply, due to the Covid regulations, very little in the way of trimming back growth around the ponds and footpaths has been done for over two years... perfect tasking for Team GG. Equipped with suitable tools, we headed off on a tour of the pond areas with small teams forming up to tackle each job as it appeared. 

As can be seen from Terry's excellent photographs, the whole area around and including the manor is absolutely stunning as well as being a wonderful wild life sanctuary. It is hoped that we will be returning here again in the near future (rather than the 15 year gap last time..!)

This was a very well attended session and the weather could not have been better, especially when you consider it is FEBRUARY.

Many thanks to our host for the tea making facilities and to Terry for taking the photographs.