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Thank you to David for leading the gardening session in Castle Wood Rose Garden on Sunday, and for writing this blog.

Jack Wood Friday, 14th August 2026 Another hot day meant, not surprisingly, a slightly smaller group – but we were delighted to see 12 volunteers turn up to help improve the woodlands. Sensibly, our plan was to take things at a steady pace, have plenty of hydration breaks, take our usual break a little earlier at 11 am, and finish at noon – an hour earlier than usual, before the heat really got going. We returned to the protected area close to Castle Wood Meadow, where we cou

Oxleas Wood - Coppicing Coupe 2 Friday, 7th August 2026 After having to cancel our June session for 20 Barclays volunteers because of the extreme temperatures, we were delighted that the company’s third volunteering session of the year could finally go-ahead last Friday, 7th August. This time, the group was smaller, with nine volunteers joining us – but they certainly made up for it in enthusiasm! After meeting at Oxleas Café for a little ‘out of office’ team bonding, the gro

Read about Tom's Houses in the Woods walk.

Oxleas Pond Saturday, 8th August 2026 While most of the grass across Oxleas Woodlands has been dry and yellow for several weeks now, one patch has been positively thriving. Around the edge of Oxleas Pond, lush green grass began growing along the high-water mark and has quickly spread into the pond itself, forming thick, floating clumps. Thriving Grass Infilling the Pond So, last Saturday, on yet another hot and sunny day, our 13 volunteers, supported by the Park Ranger and a

Friday the 7th saw 5 of our volunteers back in the wildlife garden at Jackwood, enjoying the very slight decrease in temperatures.

Jack Wood 31st July 2026 As July draws to a close, the busiest part of the bird breeding season is largely behind us. Most woodland birds have now successfully fledged their young, allowing us to move away from working on paths, verges and meadows and back into the heart of the woodland. By waiting until this important stage of the breeding season has passed, we can carry out essential habitat restoration while minimising disturbance to nesting birds. This session, our 16 vol

Eltham Common and Wood Saturday, 1st August 2026 Saturday greeted us with beautiful sunshine – perfect weather for a litter-picking session in these wonderful woodlands and common. Happily, it was a fairly uneventful morning. There were no large fly-tipped items and nothing particularly unusual to report, which is always encouraging and suggests that, little by little, our efforts are helping to keep the woodland a cleaner place for both wildlife and visitors. Not too far awa

Shepherdleas Wood - Berry Hill Bluebell Slopes Tuesday, 28th July 2026 Today brought a much more typical English summer's day. It was pleasantly cooler than the temperatures we've experienced recently, making it much more comfortable for both volunteers and wildlife. Our Tuesday sessions are always a little different. With a smaller group of volunteers, there's far more opportunity to chat while we work, catch up on the latest news and enjoy each other's company. It's a wonde

Jackwood House Garden Saturday, 18th July 2026 Despite the continuing high temperatures, with grass everywhere turning dry and yellow, our wildlife-friendly garden is thriving. As our eight volunteers worked their way around the garden—cutting back vigorous growth along the edges, trimming the grass, tackling persistent bindweed and carrying out general maintenance—they found themselves surrounded by wildlife. Every flowerbed seemed alive with movement. Insects buzzed and flu

Hotel Field and Middle Path Opening Friday, 17th July 2026 What a wonderful group of volunteers we have here in the woodlands! Eighteen people attended the session and worked their socks off, shovelling, sweeping, chopping and pulling to improve the woodland for both wildlife and walkers. Once again, our aim was to find as much shade as possible for our activities, so we split into two large groups and headed to different areas. Those who enjoy path work returned to Hotel Fie

Oxleas Wood - The Ride Saturday, 11th July, 2026 We had another good turnout of 12 volunteers on Saturday for our monthly SHWWP session. Not only did we have a group of our regular volunteers and a couple of old-timers, but we were delighted to welcome two new, equally-enthusiastic volunteers to our happy troop. While it was another stifling-hot day, Oxleas Wood was probably quite a bit cooler than most places, beneath the dappled shade of the trees. The woods themselves we

Woodland Borders - Rochester and Welling Ways Saturday, 4th July 2026 Saturday saw us back at the woodland edges bordering the Rochester and Welling Ways – one of our regular litter and fly-tipping hotspots. Of course, our mission isn’t simply about making the area look tidier. That’s a welcome bonus, but our real aim is to stop litter being blown deeper into the woodland where it can harm wildlife and the wider environment. Plastic breaks down into tiny fragments, cigarette

Hotel Field - Paths and Verges Friday, 3rd July 2026 With another hot day forecast, it was important to find a shady spot where we could continue our woodland improvement work, and several paths and verges around the edge of Hotel Field offered some great opportunities for the day's session. Once again, we were delighted by the fantastic turnout — 22 volunteers! Our morning got off to a slightly unexpected start when we discovered we couldn't access the shed where our tools w

Despite the hot weather, volunteers made an early start on Sunday 21st June to continue work in Jackwood House Garden. Terrace beds were weeded and cleared before GoodGym volunteers helped uncover more of the hidden paved path, with around 12 metres now revealed.

Oxleas Wood 19th June 2026 Beating the Heat with a Fantastic Team Effort The weather forecast certainly got it right! We were promised a very hot, sunny, and humid day, and that's exactly what we got. So, it was completely understandable that some volunteers decided it was simply too hot to join the session. Looking after ourselves in extreme weather is always important. What was amazing was that an incredible 17 volunteers turned up ready to help and make a difference. A new

Notes from our Members' meeting on 16th June 2026.

Oxleas Wood Saturday, 13th June 2026 What a perfect day for a woodland conservation session! The sun was shining, the sky was brilliantly blue, and a gentle breeze kept temperatures comfortable throughout the morning. Best of all, despite some uncertain forecasts earlier in the week, there wasn’t a raincloud in sight. Meeting at the fingerpost on the main ride in Oxleas, our team of 17 volunteers gathered, donned their hi-vis vests, collected their tools, and set off with ent

Early June saw work in both of our gardens, polishing and tidying ahead of midsummer.

Severndroog Castle Entrance The second stop on our mission to clean up signage and make our woodlands even more welcoming was one of the main entrances to the woods – the access point by Severndroog Castle and Car Park. Looking unloved.. This interpretation sign was badly covered with algae and it was very difficult to read the information. Additionally, the fly-posting detracts from the quality of the board and looks unsightly. This area proved to be a much bigger task than