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

Regulars Mick and Jen were joined by newcomer David.

There were various jobs to do today. A small group went off to fix a sign board, another group went off to remove a pile of clothing strewn in the trees, a couple of people went off litter picking. Mick and David formed part of a team who took charge of chopping a dead tree down.

The rest of the group got to work removing nettles from the sedge bed.

Jen, Sheila and Sarah (doing her 2nd Goodgym task) joined 9 BBOWT/ Friends of The Millie volunteers for their monthly working party.

After taking the tools down to the reed bed, a small group stayed back to fill in a hole that had apppeared by the path.

Sarah paired up and went off on a litter pick and they collected 7 bags between them.

Sheila and Jen joined a small group who were uprooting the nettles and thistles that were strangling the reedbed.

A good mornings work all round with a final workout transporting the tools back to the van.