What a lovely morning with the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods (FOLAW)!

Their woodland conservation sessions take place on the first Sunday of every month and, as usual, we met at The Lodge. There was a big turnout today, with our GoodGym red t-shirts adding a vibrant splash of colour to the proceedings.

Marc from FOLAW had already pre-loaded wheelbarrows with equipment, so we trundled them a short distance into the woods to an area earmarked to become a coppice of hazel trees. Eventually, the hazel will be used for woodcrafts, reviving a traditional way of managing the woodland that would have been common at Lesnes Abbey in centuries gone by.

But before any new tree saplings can be planted, there’s a mammoth task ahead: clearing the long tract of land of ivy, brambles and fallen branches.

So we got to work!

With so many people, it was a hive of activity and a buzz of chatting as everyone worked alongside each other. Some used loppers and shears to cut through the green carpet of ivy and bramble tendrils, pulling and scooping everything up and ferrying it to one side to gently rot away. Some dug out bramble roots to try to curb their re-invasion plans, and others coordinated their weight-lifting efforts to lift move large fallen branches out of the way.

It was impressive to see just how much ground was cleared before we headed to the Chestnuts kiosk for coffees in the sunshine. ☕️

These sessions are a wonderful way to spend time outdoors, meet new people from FOLAW, catch up with familiar faces and be part of a initiative that’s helping restore an area of the ancient woodland to a more traditional form of management.

We’ll be back next month to keep the project growing! 🌱

This was Laura's first ever GoodGym task, joining the welcoming Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods for their monthly conservation session.

Everyone met at the Chestnuts kiosk before heading into the woods with a wheelbarrow full of tools, ready to embark on a new project near The Clearing.

The team set about clearing a plot of land where 1,500 hazel saplings will eventually be planted. It's a big task, but once established, the hazel will be coppiced to provide a sustainable source of wood.

The project will not only recreate the way these woods would have been traditionally managed, but also encourage greater biodiversity by creating a more varied understory for insects, birds and other wildlife.

Well done, Laura – it’s great to have you in Team GoodGym Bexley! And we can't wait to help with this woodland transformation in coming sessions.

Our fab four joined the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods this morning for their monthly conservation session.

We joined the regular volunteers on the hike up to the Heath, taking turns to push two wheelbarrows full of tools. It’s nearly 1km mostly all uphill, so we certainly earned our keep before the work had even begun!

At the top, Paul explained that the plan was to cut back anything that wasn’t heather, ultimately giving the heather a chance to reclaim the area.

Piles of bracken, brambles, holly, oak saplings and honeysuckle soon made their way into the wheelbarrows, ready for the composting areas. There was plenty of cutting, clearing and hauling to keep everyone busy.

Once our patch was looking considerably more heather-friendly, it was time to collect up the tools and head back down to the Chestnuts Kiosk for some drinks.

Another great morning of teamwork, conservation and GoodGym fun!

Mo, Samantha, Marjorie joined the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods (FOLAW) for their monthly conservation session yesterday.

This was Marjorie's first ever GoodGym task and here's how she found it...

"My first volunteering session at Lesnes Abbey Woods was a really positive experience. The group was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and respectful, making it easy to get involved and work together.

During the session, we helped remove bracken and wild honeysuckle from the heathland to give the heathers more space and light to thrive, supporting the conservation of this important habitat.

It was very rewarding, and I enjoyed contributing to the local environment alongside such a great team led by Marc from FOLAW".

It's great to have you as part of Team GG Bexley, Marjorie. And well done everyone for your hard work 💚🌿🌱.

I joined Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods for their monthly litter pick, where ten of us braved the heat.

Three volunteers stayed to scour the ruins area which was pretty quiet today.

Seven of us branched out to Knee Hill and the woods area which was quite cool and shady. We speeded around the route and collected a few bags of rubbish each so it was a successful couple of hours.

At one point we was greeted by a field mouse who wanted to lend a hand with the litter pick 🐭! We also found a thermostat - the heat didn't need to be turned up today 🥵.

We came back together and did a stroll back to Chestnut cafe where it was an order of cold canned drinks all-round as we sat to cool of in the Monks Garden before heading home.

We'll be back again next month - we'd love to have you along for a lovely chatty morning in nature which really makes a difference.

We had a really enjoyable Sunday morning teaming up with the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Wood.

During the session, we set about clearing a large area of bracken to let the heather thrive. Thankfully, the recent rain made the task easier, as it helped loosen the roots and made removal more effective.

While working, we also had the opportunity to learn more about the woodland and the history of the heath, which made the experience even more interesting and rewarding.

It was great to be part of a group effort contributing to the care and preservation of the environment.

We were very lucky with the weather, which made the morning even more pleasant and allowed us to make good progress with the work.

We'll be back again to help with more woodland conservation on the first Sunday in July. Tasks vary from month to month, so why not join us for a lovely dose of fresh air and active volunteering in beautiful surroundings. Oh, and the coffee from Chestnuts Kiosk is an added treat to round things off!