This evening we had a glorious time at Marston Forest Garden. After an enthusiastic greeting from Anthony, Isobel and Oboe the dog we wandered through the site to the Medicinal Herb Circle.

The whole site has burst into bloom in the last few weeks, fruit has started to ripen, flowers popping up and the trees are thriving.

This evening we were tasked with weeding the herb circle in readiness for one of Isobel's glorious brick labyrinths. Armed with tools and fortified by watermelon and DELICIOUS flapjacks we set to work. After an hour and a bit the area looked much better and Isobel sent us into the allotment to forage for fruit and herbs.

Already looking forward to our July session!

Oxford Preservation Trust have a piece of meadow land up on Harcourt Hill which they want to use for grazing. A water supply has been sorted, fencing is on it's way, and the final job on the list is to get the ragwort explosion under control.

Common ragwort is one of the most frequently visited flowers by butterflies in the UK and more than 200 species of invertebrate have been recorded on it. However, despite it's benefits to biodiversity, it needs to be got rid of on grazing land. Ragwort poses a significant threat to livestock, particularly horses and cattle. While animals generally avoid it in its green state due to its bitter taste, they can ingest it when it's dried in hay or silage, or when other food sources are scarce. While ragwort is not a neurotoxin in the strictest sense, it can cause neurological symptoms in animals due to the liver damage it causes. The plant's toxins primarily affect the liver. When the liver is damaged, it can no longer properly filter toxins from the blood, leading to a buildup of these toxins and impacting brain function, resulting in neurological signs.

Hugging the shade, we set about digging and pulling up as much ragwort as we could. We managed a good haul, almost filling a tonne bag with plants. This is definitely an ongoing task, but we feel like we made a good start at it.

With the temperature finally starting to drop by the end of the session we had a beaut of a run post-task up towards Boars Hill.

Welcome to GoodGym Becca!

The hayfever was RAGING this evening but we are STRONG!!

This evening we headed back to OXSRAD, but this time for an outside task. As part of their general spruce up, attention has now turned to the garden and access paths. The wheelchair access paths were getting quite overgrown and picnic tables in the community garden needed sanding ready for repainting.

Armed with shovels, trowels, a broom and an electric sander we made short work of our tasks and left the area looking a lot tidier than when we arrived. GREAT WORK TEAM!!

Some of us then headed into the evening for a magical mystery exploration of Oxford's footpaths and nature reserves.

Welcome to Goodgym Maruf, we hope to see you again soon!