Blasts of January

By the Session Leader:

A “good sess” this morning – and, thanks to Green-Gym efforts, much easier driving away from the site afterwards than it had been arriving by wheels along a bridleway rather the worse for winter weather.

January usually means plenty of these to enjoy where the habitat is right for them:

Those specimens were spotted near Oxford around the weekend, so I was on the lookout for more flights of angelic snowdrops on site today.  In fact, the ones in the nature reserve were still in their infancy, though bearing the promise of some spectacular displays to come:

We were not, however, there to be surprised by snowdrops.  And thankfully, though it was a crisp day, the “blasts of January” (as I think one of the characters in The Winter’s Tale says?) were not so strong as to blow anyone through and through, however lean. 

The main task was to shift several tonnes of scalpings: from pile in car-park to the potholes in the bridleway.  This was the job that most of the volunteers this morning piled into with zeal – also knowing, of course, that it would ensure they were not be cold for more than 10 minutes:

Task #2 was to level a mound of soil and prepare for sowing:

Task #3 pond clearance:

And the initially unscheduled task, to see to the fence which had worked loose in the wind, and which urgently required repair before any serious blasts of January (or February, March, &c) shredded the panels:

After tea-break, there was a little re-organization.  The fence job was completed, to the evident satisfaction of the construction team:

They then moved on to clearing “leaves” [actually more like leaves + compost - Ed.] from the industrial-heritage area:

Meanwhile, volunteers new to the place set off on a guided tour to view some of the sights of the site:

The soil-prep team had levelled earth, and ‘raked to a fine tilth’ (as the expression goes):

The pond-clearer could look back at a job well done, and measure the remaining depth in one from which a massive quantity of leaves had been carefully removed without puncturing the liner:

And the roadway-maintenance crew?  Well their satisfaction was that of all of us driving away from the site today (while two volunteers virtuously walked to their respective homes): it was a much smoother ride leaving than arriving.

Cracking wheeze!

By the Session Leader:

At 8 this morning rain was pelting down, and the wind blowing half a gale.

"There's beautiful South-Oxfordshire countryside out there somewhere"

Some anxious emailing took place, speculating whether we should call off the session.  The local weather forecast, however, was adamant that the downpour would start to ease off at 10 am (our start time) and would have ceased altogether by 12 noon.  

Two volunteers decided they would rather stay dry.  [Which is entirely understandable.  We, after all, know you wouldn’t find a Green-Gymmer crying, “Don’t let him get me involved in anything with any work in it!” – Ed.]  The rest of the group, in good WGG fashion, were happy to go ahead.  We therefore set off from our respective homes to converge at the pre-arranged meeting point on the Earth Trust Wittenham estate. 

Next problem: gusting winds had brought down power lines, and Clifton Hampden Bridge was closed – on the route of the volunteer bringing the tea-crate.  Moreover, said volunteer, being relatively new to this, did not know the area well enough to find the detour.

Now that could have led to a spot of bother, a ‘no teas’ situation.  But don’t worry: the site warden rapidly cooked up a Plan B, which took into account the proximity of the Earth Trust offices.  And in fact, plan B did not need to be called on.  Our newest regular volunteer is evidently a Green-Gym natural: he realised he did know the way to the home of another volunteer (who happens to be an old friend, who was not able to come to Green Gym today); and from there got help to deliver the vital tea-crate to the session after all.  10 out of 10 for enterprise and initiative!  Whatever happens, we do like to be able to say we’re right behind each other at Green Gym, and that “Everything’s under control.”  Which it usually is.

The rain was certainly under Someone’s control.  It stopped ahead of the forecasters’ schedule, at 10:00.  The wind was still playing up, though.  [Later we discovered that a not very well-promulgated yellow warning for Wind had been issued. – Ed.]  This led to site warden making a late change to the morning’s task.  We had been due to be working higher up the slope, in the Clumps area, trimming a ride; but that did not seem such a good idea given the climatic conditions.  [Good call!  It would not have been pleasant to find oneself beneath cracking trees. – Ed.] 

Instead, an impromptu working party with a wider group of workers was organized for near the Earth Trust offices.  Some staff who would normally be at work behind desks, but had found they had no internet connection first thing this morning, came to join us.

Our new work-site was the ‘garden’ zone, beside the children’s play area:

Another group had built an empty wooden structure that would become raised beds for demonstrating How to Grow Your Own Food.

As a base, comfrey was to be cut and laid as the first layer of the bed.  Comfrey, aka comphrey (Symphytum officinale), acts as a compost activator.  Which would help break down the next, more woody layer to go down:

Piles of compost were then to be dug out, wheel-barrowed to the beds, and spread out as the main layer:

Despite some initial misgivings (“Will there be enough soil to fill the beds?” followed by: “Will there be too much soil?”) the operation went remarkably smoothly.  There was only the occasional “Weight Overload!” episode with the wheelbarrows.  And one of the residents of the compost was deftly retrieved and relocated to a more suitable hall:

At last, the last of the barrow-loads was tipped in.  Cue photo-call of volunteers and Earth-Trust staff together:

Finally, the bed was smoothed and left ready for a final layer of top soil, once the base has settled:

It had turned out a most pleasant morning – and all the better for having been able to meet some of the people who are more often (from our PoV) behind the scenes at ET.