On the first group task of Spring we were blessed with a dry evening and a gardening task. Having cleared the area of litter, the team got stuck in to weeding, pruning and digging out the flower beds round Martin Way Methodist Church. Getting rid of some of the more persistent roots needed real effort and team support, but that is what we are so good at. So by the end of the evening, all the beds were cleared, the anti-weed netting was down and secured, and we could all be satisfied with a job well done.

There is no 'away' when we throw things away! Tracking just how much we toss - whether into recycling or rubbish - was the idea behind this citizen science data collection project. The aim is to understand how much - and, crucially, what types - of plastics are being used in an average week.

After 7 days of tallying up each item of plastic waste, it was eye-opening to realise that even a smaller, eco-conscious household could toss 76 pieces in just one week! The majority was soft plastics relating to food & drink - something to keep an eye on going forward!

Audrey and I supported the DLAG team to set up for their annual tea party. Tables and chairs were moved and arranged. 200 people were due to attend so we did a lot of juggling and squeezing but we got there! I hope they have a fantastic time!

Felicidade and I joined a large team to help Friends of the Earth with their annual tree planting. We whipped, mulched, planted and weeded! We planted 6 different types of trees. It was a joy to see the trees that were planted last year, doing so well and the trees that were planted 5 years ago now very established.

It’s officially the season for outdoor jobs so for my second mission of the day I headed to Mrs I’s garden to tackle some weeds. The afternoon sun was out in full force, providing the perfect power to get the bed cleared.

We had a brilliant start to the morning helping Mrs R get her garden back under control. It was a classic case of weed it and reap as we cleared the beds, leaving the space tidy and ready for some spring sunshine.