Last night, GoodGym Hounslow returned to Baron’s Ponds, turning an overgrown tangle into a future beautiful bluebell glade. A warm GoodGym welcome to Ealing member Scott, who joined us for his first session in Hounslow!

Baron’s Ponds sits in a historic corner of Gunnersbury, but, as nobody had been caring for it for some years, it risked becoming simply overgrown, derelict space. Thankfully, a passionate team of local volunteers stepped up to take over its care, aiming to increase biodiversity and sustainability.

We got straight to work pulling up and hauling away mounds of the invasive ivy. The volume of growth was immense, but we soon got stuck and started making a difference. A special shout-out has to go to Chris and Florian, who spent the evening fighting the good fight against a truly colossal, knotted ball of ivy. It was a real wrestling match — check out the photos for the unbelievable scenes and ultimate victory.

While we worked, Mark (the head of the volunteer team) filled us in on a bit of local drama. It turns out the pond is currently being plagued by a lone terrapin. This rogue reptile has been terrorising the local ecosystem, eating up all the frogs and other tiny pond creatures. Apparently he’s quite intrepid and frequently commutes between here and the main ponds at Gunnersbury Park. The ultimate plan is to safely catch and rehome him - unless he makes a speedy getaway first. 

With the ivy cleared, the area is one step closer to being turned into a blue vision come spring. Next week, we are teaming up with Wild Chiswick for more green-fingered tasks that deliver a real environmental impact. You can find the details here.