Fantastic opportunity to survey local river (The Lee) as it passes through arable landscape. Very surprising results with high levels of pollutant scored. Very interesting science lesson as well.

I carried out my monitoring at Dollis Brook in Finchley, a serene and easily accessible section of the stream. The shallow water and good access made it an ideal location for phosphate and nitrogen testing using the Earthwatch kit. I found the process surprisingly easy and, perhaps not so surprisingly, very relaxing — there’s something naturally calming about listening to the water and the birds around you. It’s a great way to engage with your local river, and I would thoroughly recommend trying it yourself. Based on my tests, Dollis Brook appeared to be in fairly good condition, especially considering its urban setting.

Check out the other photos..

Our job last night was back at a local favourite, a school we’ve visited more times than we can. As Tish pointed out, the place is looking really tidied up these days — and it’s not just magic. We’ve definitely left our muddy trainer-shaped mark over the years.

There was bit of a challenge to overcome to start — the caretaker had unfortunately forgotten to tool us up, but we soldiered on, armed with sheer determination and upper body strength.

Our main mission: finish the rockery we’ve been building in the carpark. As Maxime said, the end was in sight, and completing it would give us a proper sense of satisfaction. Armed with only two wheelbarrows — one of which moonlights as a haunted violin — we did what we do best: powered through with teamwork, elbow grease, and a slightly off-beat squeak.

And as always, no session is complete without uncovering some mysterious buried treasure. Previous finds have included Jon's old glove and a perfectly serviceable bike. This time? A tiny plastic duck, now our unofficial mascot.

We rounded things off with some litter picking and a spot of weeding, then it was time for a quick circuit session: cardio to get the heart racing, strength moves to build muscles, and enough lunges to trouble the glutes and hammies.

Before we sign off — a massive GOOD LUCK to all the GoodGym runners taking on the London Marathon this weekend. Go Lucy! 🏃‍♀️💨 If you fancy cheering her (and the rest of the runners) on, you can sign up to join the cheer squad here

See you next week for more fun, fitness, and possibly another random duck. 🦆✨ In the meantime, don't forget that we have a lovely task restoring the natural river habitat on Sunday, if you're free sign up here for a task with a big impact.