In years gone by, missions to tackle Himalayan Balsam in the areas close to the river were many and not-far-between, with extra midweek sessions not a rarity. That Saturday’s task was our first (and possibly last?) of the Summer hopefully speaks to the efforts of many over the years to bring this invasive species under control, which are perhaps paying off. But it is a (little) shame because it’s always so much fun.

Himalayan Balsam, we learned from Friends of Ham Lands leader Sharon, escaped from Kew Gardens, whence it had been brought from afar (the Himalayas?) many years ago (19th century?). It quickly colonised large parts of the local area - as well as spreading all over the country - compromising the growth of important other flora and damaging soil structures on the river banks.

So on this beautifully sunny Saturday morning, 5 of Richmond GG’s finest met with Sharon and headed to an area close to the towpath on the river side of the Ham Lands to deal with a couple of patches of Balsam.

The fun part is in the ease of the job: despite their apparent size and sturdiness, Balsam plants are easy to uproot, having shallow roots as they do - and their wide hollow stems create a satisfying pop sound when pulled from the ground. So satisfying it makes you want not want to stop.

Stop we eventually did, however, as plans for the rest of the day (and a build-up of nettle stings) eventually required us to. We stood back and admired the result of our efforts - large clear sections and large piles of uprooted Balsam. And then off we popped.

Next time at Ham Lands is on Saturday 8th August. You can sign up here: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/helping-the-happy-ham-landers-b8f34de0-18b2-4779-8129-bff4f391fa5a

On a lovely warm and sunny Saturday morning, 6 Goodgymers joined the Friends of Ham Lands for our monthly session of habitat improvement and preservation.

The session started with a short talk from Paul, who explained his work on monitoring insect life in the hawthorns on the Ham Lands, and how it has been a bumper year especially for caterpillars.

Our task for the day, to nobody's huge surprise, was tackling brambles - this time those hemming the edges of bushes and hawthorn trees in an area at the northern boundary. We went at them with gusto, enjoying the warmth of the sun as we built up piles of removed brambles before moving them into the undergrowth.

A warm welcome to Helen who joined for her first session!

June be a skipped month for this mission, we will be back on the Ham Lands in July, on Saturday 11th.

After a few days of sunshine during the week it was cooler and overcast on the Ham Lands Saturday morning as 4 of GG Richmond's finest gathered for our monthly habitat preservation work.

This month, we were tasked with tackling an area of brambles. We did this with loppers and rakes, occasionally yelping when attacked by one of the thorny tendrils.

The job was going well and we built up a few large piles of the brambles we had removed, before realising that we did not have the large canvas sacks with us to transport the brambles away from the clearing to the undergrowth.

We overcame the issue with a series of trips carrying brambles by garden fork, rake or in armfuls and soon got the job done.

Time for a quick cup of tea and group photo and we were off to enjoy our weekends!

A beautifully sunny if chilly morning greeted 8 GoodGymers as they gathered on the Ham Lands with Sharon and her team.

Our task today was to clear the brambles covering a pathway to clear it for safer passage for walkers. The brambles were tenacious to say the least - some of us were chopping them with loppers while others dug out the roots - but we made good progress, rapidly filling refuse sacks which were then emptied in the undergrowth.

Meanwhile part of the team tackled the ivy spreading across the ground, pulling up great clumps and filling the bags.

It was a satisfying mission and the team retired happy to the Swiss Bakery for well-deserved coffees and treats.

Next time will be on April 11th - sign up here: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/helping-the-happy-ham-landers-46894cf6-7f0c-466b-b358-13b5740bca60

On a bright but cold day at Ham Lands, our GoodGym crew - welcoming first-timers Clare and Nadya - gathered for a satisfying task: liberating a cherry tree that had all but disappeared beneath a thicket of suckers.

These vigorous new growths had sprung up from the tree’s roots and were crowding out the space around it, competing for nutrients. Fuelled by enthusiasm (and a need to keep warm!), we set to work.

Using a combination of loppers for the thinner and handsaws for the thicker suckers we spread around the tree and attacked the task with gusto. The cut-down suckers soon started to form a large pile near the tree, which Friends of Ham Lands leader Sharon began moving to the undergrowth nearby.

As the cherry tree was revealed and the pile grew larger, several of the GoodGym team switched to removal duties. All the while we had been careful not to cut two of the suckers on which rare butterfly eggs had been found, so these remained standing close to the tree.

As usual for a Ham Lands task, on finishing we gathered at the Swiss Bakery for well deserved hot drinks and treats, happy with our morning’s efforts.

On a cold and fresh day on the Ham Lands, the GoodGym team joined Sharon and the rest of the Friends of Ham Lands to tackle an overgrown patch of brambles. John, Pippa, Monika, Kate, Chris, Adam, Suze, Rosie, Alex and JP were armed with loppers, gloves and plenty of enthusiasm as we chopped back and uprooted the brambles to reduce competition and open up space for violets and snowdrops to thrive.

The task involved cutting through dense, thorny growth and digging out roots to help prevent regrowth. Working steadily as a team, we cleared the area and left it ready for spring flowers to emerge. By the end of the session, the site looked noticeably more open and light-filled, giving native plants a much better chance to establish and spread.

We finished up with a well-earned cup of tea with the Friends of Ham Lands group, before making our way to the Swiss Bakery for drinks and snacks — a perfect end to a thorny but rewarding mission.

Next time will be on Valentines Day - sign up here: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/helping-the-happy-ham-landers-8ee7fa0c-756b-4d38-9748-7b6b725f7d2e