The September conservation day at Grove Farm was a welcome break from a four-session streak at Coston’s Brook, where we had successfully located one of the invasive Japanese knotweed clusters. After our previous captivating escapades in a narrow, overgrown ditch, we moved our operations to an open meadow that needed cutting back.

Nettles, the edges of bramble clusters and dried plants all had to go, ideally cut into scallop shapes, as nature, according to Mike, favours scallops over straight lines. Mike, the lead of Friends of Grove Farm, got to test his newly acquired scythe and scything skills, sweeping through the meadow like a reaper. Meanwhile, fellow Friends Suzie and Joe, along with GoodGymers Scott, Steph and Kash, used hedge trimmers, rakes and forks to trim the meadow and move the dry cuttings under the tree cover to reduce the fire risk. The team was lucky to be joined by two young new volunteers, who quickly learned how to use loppers to cut back the thick brambles.

The next step for the trimmed meadow will be to sow a mix of a special type of grass and wildflower seeds. Maybe we’ll even get to do it at our next session. Sign up to find out!