Pond Life

13 Goodgymers helped their local community in Oxford
Ellie
Hannah
Rachael M
Sophie Wilkinson
Samantha Drewett
Jocasta Patel
Louise Hall
Ben Foster
Sarah McFadden
Sarah Morris
Sarah
Bethan Greenaway
Anwen Greenaway
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Oxford

Wednesday 25th August 2021

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Anwen Greenaway
Anwen Greenaway

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Report written by Anwen Greenaway

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Pond reprofiling was the name of the game this evening - the end goal being to create a few new habitats suitable for newts and other amphibians at Boundary Brook Nature Park.

The pond currently has very steep sides, and digging out the edge to create a gentle slope will make it much more newt friendly. Tonight's Wednesday team picked up where the soggy Saturday crew left off, but this time with added mattocks! We cleared vegetation, mattocked the ground to loosen the earth, and started digging out the soil, holding our noses every time anything disturbed the somewhat stinky pond water. The race is on to get the work done by the end of September when the newts will take to the water. In a win-win, the vegetation and soil were piled up to create 2 hibernaculums; another wonderful habitat for the creatures.

Mattocking, digging, wheelbarrowing and running - we got full body workouts tonight!

Boundary Brook Nature Park will be having an open afternoon on Saturday 11th September. So if you're keen to go back, walk the paths we've built, and admire the fruits of your pond digging, that's your chance.

Well done on your 50th Good Deed Louise - get that black Tshirt ordered!

Nice to meet Hannah on tour from GoodGym Bromley.


This task supported
Oxford Urban Wildlife Group
OUWG maintains the diverse wildlife habitats at Boundary Brook Nature Park

Environment conservation, habitat restoration and management, wildlife gardening and wetland habitat management, community engagement, nature education.

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Discuss this report
Hannah

Sat 28th Aug 2021 at 11:07am

Oh dear, what can the mattock be? ; )

Anwen Greenaway

Sun 29th Aug 2021 at 1:38pm

Excellent punning Hannah!

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