Raking all over the world (wildlife fund)!

For the second sunny super Saturday task Kate, Caroline and Laura headed to Fishponds Park to help at their community action day. This is a regular event, organised by Friends of Fishponds Park and led by Citizen Zoo, which brings the residents of Surbiton together to improve the green space and wildlife habitat. On arrival we were greeted by a crowd of locals all ready and raring to get their (rake) teeth into the tasks (including a group of D of E students who Laura was very pleased to get mistaken for!) After an intro talk and safety briefing on the selection of tools we would be using, the group divided up to start the various jobs. We found it difficult to decide which one to choose, as us goodgymmers are not known for our ‘take it or leaf it’ attitude and are always ready to help no mattock the task! However we finally settled on some rose bush cutting and headed off up the hill. After a quick tutorial from an experienced local resident about cutting below a bud and at a downward angle, Kate and Caroline rose to the challenge and got stuck in with the loppers. Meanwhile Laura tried to stem the growth of the cuttings pile by shovelling it all into heavy duty bags. After an hour or so, the area had been transformed from a big mass of messy branches to lots of lovely distinct rose plants, ready to bloom over the next couple of months!