Greenhill Farm Quarry
We were invited by the Oxfordshire Geology Trust to help expose Cornbrash and Forest Marble rock faces, including marine fossils and signs of sea movement, at the Greenhill Farm Quarry, near Bletchingdon/Kirtlington. We took down a lot of vegetation and chipped away at earth to expose the rocks. It was a sunny day and the company was good.
Bench painting
On 5th September we joined forces with Bure Park Residents Association and the Community Payback team, to sand down and wood stain the 15 or so benches around the site. The weather was perfect and the stain, donated by B&Q looked great on the benches. See the 'Park benches' PHOTOs in the BPRA Gallery.
Green Pioneers
In April we enjoyed a session with Jane Craven (BTCV) and around 20 teenagers & helpers. We made a habitat pile, stuffed with tubes, fabric, bricks, sticks, logs and more, a lot of it found on site. Some of it man-made recyclables. Also bird & bat boxes. Of course tea break was a big feature! Our youngest helper was aged 3 and helped carry our new mascot, who sings "If you go down in the woods today..." . Very appropriate! (He was found during a litter pick one day, poor thing!).
Deadhedge
This is our biggest deadhedge so far, replacing repeatedly vandalised fencing, overlooking a steep bank to the balancing pond. A walk round the Park will reveal 3 other hedges - see if you can find them!
Snowdrop clearing
We tend this patch in the Woodland Walk regularly. Here you can see it weeded of cow parsley & nettles, allowing light in on the recently finished snowdrops. We hope to cultivate bluebells too. (April 2009).
Schools work
For two Tuesdays, we worked with Bure Park School, Bicester, talking about birds, bird boxes, and where to put them. We inspected possible sites in the school grounds, then took the children on a tour of the nature reserve. With clip boards in hand, they had plenty to watch for, as they spotted birds nests, fungi, and evidence of Green Gym's work within the park.
Bowler's Copse
We joined the Wendlebury Woodland Project in coppicing hazels. - literally working in a winter wonderland, as temperatures struggled to zero during the day. See Wendlebury's website for more details.
BIG cheque!
This cheque is BIG not only in size, but in value! John Cozens, Bicester Town Mayor of 2007-8 presented us with this bonus after his fundraising year was completed and he had this to "spare"! We are commissioned to work on some land close to his heart and spend it on other projects, training or tools to benefit the town.
BCC Eco Garden
In November 2008 we joined Bicester Community College's School Force Day and demolished their eco-garden! Working with a team of students and science teacher, Mr. Ladd, it was "cruel to be kind" so that more constructive planning and planting can be done next year. We found several frogs, loads of litter and an old WW2 (defused) bomb! (reputedly the only one which fell on Bicester). As with all Green Gym outings, the the break was a big feature, a welcome break from other work going on, such as fence painting (done by the Head, Mrs. Bartlett) planting, pruning, litter picking etc.
Cothill Fen
Abingdon Green Gym organised a joint session on 20th September, where we had to rake away cut grass from the boggy fen in 2 areas, to open it up and allow water to come back in. They will have another session in December. As you can see there was a good turn out, good weather, and a great tea-break! (followed by lunch at the pub).
Woodstock
We joined Woodstock Green Gym on 16th July 2008 to help with slashing nettles and repairing a bridge. After several stings (nettles & wasp!) we adjourned to the pub for lunch! A productive and social session.
Reed pulling with Sonning Common
In May 2008 we enjoyed a very productive session with thanks to our colleagues from Sonning Common Green Gym. It started with reeds at shoulder height as far as the eye could see, ending with a new channel, open to the light, to help create a flowing stream and diversify the habitat. A continuing job which will always need an eye kept on it, so keep checking the programme for the next session!
Going | Going... |  | Gone ! | 
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Discovery Day
On 5th April 2008 we launched ourselves independently from BTCV, but still very much under their expert eye! We were also celebrating 10 years of Green Gyms and the arrival of spring! Here is the gang, along with the Mayor & Mayoress. We had quite a bit of interest and the weather was great!
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Butterfly survey
At Bicester Fields we met an expert in butterflies and looked for the eggs of the Brown Hairstreak butterfly. Blackthorn is their favourite habitat.
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Sonning Common
On Thursday 6th March 2008 some of us went to Aston Rowant to help celebrate Sonning Common Green Gym's 10th birthday, lay a memorial bench and cut & burn a load of scrub on the chalk downlands. Very satisfying - especially in the food department!
 | We got to light fires |  | A steep climb up |
 | Tea, cakes & more |  | A feast for lunch: spuds roasted on the fire! |
Bird boxes
We made bird boxes in the woodland, as part of BBC Breathing spaces initiative. It was very cold and frosty, so the tea break was most welcome!
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Wood chippings
An ongoing task, a bit like the Forth Bridge! We laid an enormous pile of chippings kindly supplied by the Council. Steve's quad bike came in very handy, but we really needed our cool-down stretches at the end!
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Earlier tasks
Here are some views of completed tasks, probably one-offs, though some will be revisted, such as the pond path which will be woodchipped, and the hazel plantation, which will be weeded and eventually harvested. If there is a gap in the programme brambles always need to be cleared, and reeds pulled! Steve's quad bike is an essential tool as it saves many trips by wheelbarrow!
 | Steve's quad comes in useful! |  | quicker than a barrow |  | The balancing pond for reed pulling |
 | Cleared of brambles |  | The approach to the path |  | Dead hedge |
 | Vandal proof fence |  | Bolts,wires & superglue! |  | Upper path, cleared & chipped |
 | Plantation of hazel whips |
St. Mary's garden
In 2007 St. Mary's school asked Green Gym to make over their wildlife area. It was carried out over 2 sessions and included laying a new pond and putting in seating, clearing overgrowth etc.