Jen, Sheila and Sarah (doing her 2nd Goodgym task) joined 9 BBOWT/ Friends of The Millie volunteers for their monthly working party.

After taking the tools down to the reed bed, a small group stayed back to fill in a hole that had apppeared by the path.

Sarah paired up and went off on a litter pick and they collected 7 bags between them.

Sheila and Jen joined a small group who were uprooting the nettles and thistles that were strangling the reedbed.

A good mornings work all round with a final workout transporting the tools back to the van.

3 Goodgymers joined 9 Friends of The Millie/BBOWT volunteers to tackle the main job of the day: removing as much holly as possible to open up the foliage so the sun can shine through onto other plants and flora.

There was also some litter picking to be done, a fallen tree to be moved so it wasn't blocking the path and 2 abandoned bikes were removed from the stream.

A good mornings work all round.

A very active session today. We were back in the reed bed area with Mick giving a dam about improving the dam built last time and digging more channels.

Meanwhile Sheila and Jen joined a group clearing more of the reed bed, trees and brambles back. Lots of lopping, sawing and chopping. We cleared a good area by the end of the session.

Mick and Sheila joined six other volunteers at Haymill Nature Reserve to continue work on the reed bed. Mick was in the group building a partial dam across the stream to help divert the water through the reed bed. It was amazing to see the instant effect of their labours as the water began to flow down the channel. Mick then got a good workout digging to extend the channel. Meanwhile Sheila joined others in clearing scrub along the reed bed edge, contending with brambles, wild clematis and dogwood to stop them invading this precious space

Sheila, Mick and Jen met the Friends of Haymill and BBOWT volunteers for their regular working party.

The plan for today was to clear the reed bed, and to redig and divert the channels we dug previously to direct the water to a specific corner of the reedbed to encourage regrowth.

When we reached the reedbed we were met with a blanket of nettles so the first job was to scythe and slash them down so they could be uprooted. Whilst most of the team did this Sheila and I went off to do a quick litter pick as there werent enough slashers/scythes available. My section of litterpicking was predominantly retrieving discarded tin cans and drinks bottles although I did retrieve part of a car too.

When we returned to the reedbeds enough of the nettles had been slashed that the channel digging had started. Mick made such good progress we named his area Mick's Trench in his honour.

The difference in how the area looked by the end of the session was remarkable.

Clare and Sheila joined the monthly BBOWT workparty at Haymill Nature Reserve alongside a number of regular volunteers. Our task was to repair the structure forming a dam across the stream that runs across the reserve The stream bed was dry, which made our task easier. One group carried out a litterpick along the streambed, amassing 2 big bags of rubbish, while others foraged for saplings suitable for use as stakes. These were hammered in place where needed and hazel whips used to weave between the uprights. Once dead leaves and debris have been caught in the mesh it should prove an effective dam to retain the water. Despite the damp conditions our spirits were high and we were pleased with our handiwork