With little to no rain forecast for another long period, 300 young trees in Ladywell Fields needed to be watered by hand. Armed with buckets, a group of local volunteers, including GoodGymer Linda, gave a good soaking to each of the saplings, which form a hedgerow planted to benefit wildlife and to help capture the carbon dioxide causing climate change. We used water from the river running through the park, along with 1000 litres delivered in a tank by Lewisham council - fantastic teamwork.

A double dose of volunteering at Catford parkrun - course check before (only litter picking today) and tail walking during. I was wearing the rarely seen 2021 GoodGym away kit as it goes better with the tail walker tabard.

After being mistaken for a traffic warden whilst doing some citizen science, checking young trees for Street Trees for Living yesterday, today I was accused of working for Lewisham Council whilst doing the samw thing. Everything was fine after I explained what I was doing. A real mixture of findings - one hawthorn appeared to be dead, but another 100 metres away was flourishing. Generally most seemed to be surviving despite the drought.

A lovely morning at Wildcat, it was a session of two parts - the first picking up fallen apples ans sorting those for composting and those that could be used for cooking. When doing this I struggled with one tree as it had be taken over by brambles. So I tried to get rid of the brambles using what sounded like a death metal band, but was one of the most lethal looking garden tools I've ever used - a Root Slayer. Along with some secateurs it was extremely effective, it sounded terrible though.

Today was the first time I've ever been mistaken for a traffic warden! i was doing some citizen science checking on the health of street trees in Lewisham planted in the last few years. It was an easy mistake to make - local traffic wardens always wear red leopard print shorts and GG tops and carry tape measures! A dozen or so trees checked in Catford, Lee and Blackheath, with a few more to do tomorrow.

The normal items for the delightful Ms Y included fairy cakes and and various things for her sandwiches. But there was also the problem of the missing prescription item which had been going on for two weeks, which she’d been trying without success to resolve and was now out of the medication. A pleasant conversation with the pharmacist later and the prescription was sorted out -‘it was as though I’d waved a magic wand …