As hot here as

By the session leader

As hot as Lagos Nigeria yesterday.  And today, temperatures – as measured at the nearest weather station (RAF Benson) – set to be even more spectacular in comparative terms.  They delivered: 31.1 Celsius as we were finishing off at 1 pm; 32 by the time we’d got back home, and put the kettle on for some rehydrating tea – compared with: 30 in Athens or Cairo, 28 in Rome, Istanbul, or Lagos.

So there was a premium on jobs in the shade at this morning’s Green Gym.  Just as well we were already scheduled to be at a site with plenty of woodland cover!  Into the corners of which we were to delve with the dedication of prospectors:

For today saw us back at Withymead, for the first time in some weeks.  We looked forward to meeting a couple of the Trustees, and seeing how the site had progressed.  (Thank you, Jenny and Rebecca, for being there for the session: it was good to meet you.)  Until a new warden is appointed, the site is in more of a maintenance mode.  Or putting it another way: a fight against the rampant growth of nature.  It was almost as though nature was taking advantage of the absence of a warden to try to take back charge of the site.  It has been an ideal season for growth everywhere.

There were four possible tasks, but the most urgent was to keep the boardwalk to the kingfisher-hide clear.  As this was in the open, in full sun, we decided to get on with this in the first half of the session.

The reeds either side of the walkway were trying it climb over it.  Our colleagues from Sonning Common Green-Gym had already done much clearing.  We followed on, shearing and clearing fresh growth, and widening the margins either side of the walkway:

Cut vegetation was barrowed back to a new compost pile by the bonfire site. 

The sun was extreme, even with sunhats, so the next task (after the usual break for tea/coffee + cake) was welcomed for being largely in the shade.  It was good to know that the Forest-School site was still in use, but here nature was building up a defensive barrier of nettles to deter the young visitors.  No shears this time.  Just gloved hands pulling nettles up by the roots:

With five pullers and two barrowers we just managed to clear the banks of nettles by the end of the session.

Even under the shade there was much sweating.  We were glad our sessions are mornings, not afternoons!  We look forward to more (but perhaps slightly less sweaty) work-outs at Withymead when the new warden arrives.