Our first job was to clear a fallen tree that was blocking part of the path.

It was then off to the reed bed and whilst a splinter group went off litter picking, the rest of us stayed on the reed bed and got stuck in to a range of tasks from scything the reeds and overgrowth to clear a path to the stream, sawing down trees, raking up the debris and making a start on digging the channel to enable the water to reach the reed bed.

Adam went off on a litter pick whilst Jen, Caroline, Mick and Louis grabbed a rake or pitchfork and joined the BBOWT and Friends of The Millie volunteers to rake up the reeds and nettles that had been cut down by a team who had attended earlier in the week.

Jen joined the regular Friends of The Millie working party and helped one of the subgroups replace an information board.

Sawing, measuring, drilling and hole filling were the order of the day.

It was a busy morning at Haymill Nature Reserve, and Mick, Sarah and Sheila could choose from a variety of jobs. Between us we cut back brambles and nettles, litter-picked, repaired an information board, and dug a pond alongside other volunteers. (And ate cake) A satisfying morning

I was the only Goodgymmer to join a small Friends of Haymill turnout for this months work party.

The main job was to cut back the unwieldy brambles, nettles, leaves, grass and branches that was encroaching onto the path. This of course resulted in lots of hidden litter being revealed so a litterpick was also undertaken by those of us with inner Wombles....

Sheila and Sarah helped out the local Wildlife Trust at Haymill nature reserve on a very warm day. Our task was to cut back the brambles and nettles, to stop them encroaching the path. Luckily we were mostly in the shade, as it was pretty hot in the sun. Sightings of a frog, and hearing the bark of a Muntjac deer reminded us of what a haven this is for wildlife in the middle of an urban environment