Samia and I arrived at the beautiful Crane Park and met Eleanor from the London Wildlife Trust at the Shot Tower. According to the London Wildlife Trust website, “the reserve is a mosaic of woodland, scrub, ditches, ponds and reedbed that has grown up since it stopped being used as an industrial area in the mid-20thcentury. Crane Park Island now provides a home for many important and rare species. At the entrance to the reserve is the Shot Tower. Crane Park is the site of the once notorious Hounslow Gunpowder Mills, built where the island is today.”

We were excited to be given a familiar task of pulling the Himalayan Balsam and nettles. We were told that although they are invasive, nettles are useful in providing for the butterflies. Every day’s a school day.

Once we’d finished piling up our pullings onto tarps we carried them to a dumping area further up the path. After a brief session of pulling and a few nettle stings, we had to be on our way. We look forward to returning next month with other Goodgymers for another go at this community mission in the lovely Crane Park.