Even the chilly wind could not spoil the first conservation day of spring 2026 at Grove Farm nature reserve. A bright, sunny Saturday was the perfect time for maintenance jobs Friends of Grove Farm needed help with.

Sevan and Steph gave Mike a hand with sawing off branches of fallen trees obstructing the paths, while Breda, Shubham, Purva, Kash and Portia cleared the side of a woodland walkway to access the ditch, which no longer looked like a ditch. The trench, intended to collect rainwater, had become overgrown and filled with mud from the path. The job was to scrape and dig it with a mattock, a spade and a fork. The GoodGymers discovered that the drainage under a small wooden bridge over the path was all full of compressed soil, and decided to unblock it too. It was a proper workout, leading to some seriously muddy shoes, but also successful restoration of the drainage.

Before running or walking to their next thing, the GoodGymers visited the wood anemones patch they had been clearing off brambles during the winter months. Now, the entire slope was full of white flowers that managed to come out, without having to fight for sunlight with their spiky competitors. What an amazing display of natural beauty it was!