For the last task of the month, both a running and walking group set off from Tap Tavern in the centre of Richmond to cross the bridge and run along the north bank river path to Lynde House Care Home. A very special welcome to both Beth and Sunny who joined the walking group for their first ever task.

We haven't been there for some time but Jp and Salwa were so excited to see that a raised bed they had helped to make on a previous visit was in good order and full of bulbs just starting to grow!

For this evening's task we set about sanding three bird feeders and two benches, an aerobic workout that should never be underestimated!

It was dark, but headtorch inspections suggested we had done a thorough job before we ran/walked back off into the night!

A chilly Saturday morning saw 9 cheery GoodGymers out on Petersham Common planting trees, as part of an overall effort to plant 2,500 trees this winter and 25,000 trees over the past 5 years - all with the help of many volunteers including plenty of support from GoodGym.

Our task was to plant blackthorn and cherry trees - native varieties - towards the bottom end of the Common. Ken explained that the woods is lacking in medium height trees that many birds need to set up a nest in, and showed us how we could use "slot planting" for those with smaller roots. Once they've grown the cherries and blackthorns will be coppiced so they grow back thicker, making for a more immersive woodland for visitors and better habitats for songbirds - an ideal activity for the RSPB's Big Birdwatch weekend!

Despite the chilly air we did our job happily, chatting away in our small groups as we searched for spots to fit a tree, avoiding the bluebells and underground roots. We got through all the trees Ken had brought along and felt happy and satisfied as we headed off to begin our weekends.