This morning we joined the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods (FOLAW) for their monthly conservation session in the ancient woodland that forms a gorgeous green backdrop to the abbey ruins.

Sarah, Johnny and Manish (along with his little one!) came from volunteering (and running 🏃) at the adjacent junior parkrun. Sunday double good-deeding at its best!

We also welcomed Jinling to her very first GoodGym task 🥳.

Marc from FOLAW told us about a suspiciously straight line of trees discovered by the park ranger, the alignment suggesting it might have been an ancient hedge. To help uncover its story, our task was to clear rampant ivy from one side and cut back beastly brambles on the other. You could say we were helping the ranger see the wood for the trees 😉.

Our fearless team of GoodGymers took on the brambles. With loppers and shears, we cut back the branches, then dug in (literally!) with forks to wrestle out the stubborn roots.

Despite the rain we stayed busy and by the time we wrapped up we'd revealed a good section of the tree line. What a sense of achievement!

With perfect timing, the rain stopped as we packed away the tools, so we headed to Chestnuts café to carry on chatting over a drink and a KitKat before heading home.

Huge well done to Jinling on completing your first good deed - a brilliant GG debut 🌟. And it was lovely to have our smallest helper along, getting his very first taste of GoodGym and nature conservation too 💚💪.

We'll be back again for this session next month - sign up here. But before then there are plenty more opportunities to get involved in your local community with GoodGym Bexley.

I have been taking part in the Big Garden Bird Watch for quite a few years now.

As usual this year the birds did not behave and show up when I needed them to!

In 2021, the Covid lockdown time, my Uncle and I (who was in my bubble) sat, 2 metres apart, for an hour in my conservatory expecting to record the usual finches, robins, sparrows and variety of tits that visit the feeder. But nope. Nothing. Niche. Nadda. No visitors. It was raining but that was the allotted time so we went ahead.

2 photos of the garden with no birds for context. 😁 (taken last summer)

This year I saw one small great tit hop in the feeder and that was all. But just as I was about to conclude the hour a huge heron took to the sky from a garden two doors down. They have carp in a big pond and he was no doubt stalking those. They are thankfully covered in tough mesh to protect them. Should I fib and say it landed? The rules state that you can’t record a sighting unless the bird actually lands in your garden. So another year of frustrating non sightings of my garden friends.

But I shall be back next year. Even if just to sit, still my mind, relax and think of nothing else for an hour.

After Susan staying in bed longer this morning and a call from Sarah we eventually all got together at the Welling Library for a good tidy up session.

It had been tipping down with rain but miraculously stopped once we got stuck into weeding, litter picking and sweeping the area to make it look respectable again.

It didn't take long to get the outside looking smart but a lot of rubbish was collected including lots of items on the bingo card! We all felt satisfied at our achievement!

Well done everyone who attended! It just shows how great you are!

Of course our reward was waiting for us in Devi's Corner with the obligatory coffees, hot chocolates and chat. A great way to spend a Sunday morning.

It was grey, there was rain and there was mud, but that didn't stop 76 young runners with their parents showing up to do the 2k route at Eltham Park junior parkrun.

GoodGymers Peter, Sarah and Johnny joined the volunteers helping to make the even happen.

Peter was in his favourite timekeeping role ⏱️. Johnny and Sarah were at 'the big tree', offering high fives 👋 and plenty of cheering.

Helping at junior parkrun - even in the rain - is such a feel-good way to start a Sunday. We have have two options each week - Eltham Park and Lesnes Abbey Woods - so why not give it a go?