We visited Mousehold Heath again. A new task this time (before the Bracken pulling commences in the summer), which was pulling up self-seeded Birch trees amongst areas of the heath where they don't want then to be growing.

It sounds crazy but we must have pulled out well over 100 of them! They have been temporarily been replanted in another area of the heath before they find new homes.

Ah, February. The month of love, pancakes, and, if you’re a GoodGymmer, the relentless pursuit of litter in all its sneaky, wind-blown, occasionally baffling forms.

First of all, a huge thank you to all the GoodGymmers who took part in the great rubbish run of February! Armed with grabbers, gloves, and an almost worrying enthusiasm for picking up other people’s discarded nonsense, we tackled the streets, beaches, and green spaces in our localities.

For my part, I took on the sprawling expanse of Chesil Beach on a stunningly sunny day. The kind of day that makes you forget winter is still clinging on and convinces you that shorts might be a reasonable life choice. (They weren’t.)

Now, I’ve done my fair share of litter picking, but this time, the sea had outdone itself. Instead of the usual crisp packets and stray bottles, it had thoughtfully washed up a perfectly straight line of rubbish across the middle of the beach. It was like nature’s very own lost-and-found department.

Among the treasure trove: • An unopened Coke can (A free drink? A scientific experiment? A trap? The mind boggles.) • A builder’s helmet (Presumably from a very confident or very unfortunate seafaring construction worker.) • A mystery plastic cup with foreign writing (Possibly the remains of a transatlantic snack run? We may never know.)

If rubbish could talk, these items would have some stories to tell. And honestly, I’d love to hear them.

A massive shoutout to Kubilay & his daughter Asya, who took to the streets with the kind of enthusiasm that gives you faith in the next generation. Nothing says quality bonding time like removing litter from the pavement. Kubilay, you’re raising a legend.

And a big thank you to Katie, who bravely tackled her local village, uncovering hidden trash troves and—most intriguingly—a set of fly-tipped cushions. Because nothing screams “I don’t need these anymore” quite like launching your old soft furnishings into a hedge.

and Mel who went on a solo plog in her local area and said 'Happy to get a bag full of litter!' there you are bagging happiness you can’t get much better than that!

Onwards to March!

We did good work this month, but the rubbish never sleeps. So if you fancy fresh air, unexpected discoveries, and the deeply satisfying smugness of knowing you’ve done your bit, sign up for the March litter pick.

Thanks again, everyone—see you out there, grabbers in hand!