Litter Picking

Woodland Edges - Rochester & Welling Ways

Saturday, 11th April 2026

Litter Picking along the woodland edges of the Rochester and Welling Ways is always rewarding and Saturday’s session was no exception.  At this time of the year, it’s especially uplifting to see spring flowers pushing through and bringing the woodland floor back to life.  It makes our efforts feel even more worthwhile. With the surroundings at their best, the presence of litter feels all the more out of place and thoughtless.

Greater Stitchwort, used traditionally in herbal medicine grows in the woodland and along the roadside verges.

It has become harder and harder to count the actual number of bags collected because of the efficient collection from the RBG teams, who did two collections during the session! The group estimated that we had 45 bags, which sounds very high, but they actually did collect a large amount of basic litter, including a great deal from a couple of sites where people had held parties.

Litter from one of several party sites in the woodland!

All the usual strange items were collected as well - a tyre, the obligatory pair of pants and one shoe, but nothing particularly notable on this occasion.  However, we did find what appeared to be a large petrol can (with petrol in it) hidden in some undergrowth alongside Welling Way, which is rather concerning.   

If you see large amounts of litter or fly-tipping anywhere in the woodlands, please report it to us and we will try to remove it as soon as possible.