Meadow Restoration-18th October 2015

This week we met up again with our friends Craig and Izzy for a spot of 

meadow restoration at Longmarsh in Tontes.

Izzy was raring to go!

As Chris gave our new volunteer a quick tool talk demo on how to properly rake a meadow... 

Izzy was already getting stuck in..

The purpose of removing all this dead cut grass is to encourage wildflowers to grow.

As Wildflowers are low nutrient growers, they require very little dead matter-ala the dead grass-to transfer into nutrients. 

If we just left the dead grass it would breakdown into the ground causing the grass to shoot up in heigh, making it hard to maintain and keep tidy for the visiting public to the meadow.

Izzy was the keenest volunteer of all this week! Well, when she wasn't digging holes everywhere...

Quick lunch break along the beautiful riverside...

As well as dead grass, we also raked up plenty of fallen leaves,

 it really seems Winter is truly on its way...

Time to start wearing some extra socks!

Mike PEA Volunteer

Beach Clean and BBQ-1st August 2015

This week we decided to make the most of the great summer sunshine 

with a Beach clean and BBQ at Portwrinkle Beach. 

We had quite a large team today-

(Luckily we were well prepared with our BBQ supplies)

Nice Socks Julz...

The BBQ was soon lit and roaring, so as it warmed up ready for cooking we cracked on with the beach clean...

Charcoaling up nicely...Time to get the food on!

Probably our largest find on beach today, a one finned diver by Esther.

Esther always enjoys endulging in the free seafront salad 

up for grabs whenever we visit Portwrinkle... 

Burgers toasting nicely so on with the chocolate bananas...

It's fruit with chocolate inside, therefore it's good for you!

Esther's seafront scattered salad...

Grub's up!!

Mhm...chocolatey/bananaey unhealthily goodness! 

Time for a quick splash about in the sea! RACE YOU!

Occasional jellyfish to watch out for...

Quick sand...

Hayley getting me back for giving her a good soaking. Bit uncalled for I mean...

...she didn't get that wet...

Tribal sandpaint...

Our collection of beach found trinkets...

We cleared up 6 bags worth of rubbish from the beach,

 I'd call that a successful days work!

Just in time too as the rain was rolling in...

Group photo and it's time to go!!

Mike-PEA Team

Thorn Park Garden Restoration & Mini-Bus Scrub 25th July 2015

This week we headed off 'all so far' - a 10 minute journey to 

Thorn Park, just North of the city centre of Plymouth.

With an ample team today we were ready to assist with the ongoing

 restoration of these Victorian medical gardens based right in the heart of the city.

The beds have grown wild and the walls crumbled, so it's really in need of the 

ongoing TLC which it's receiving from the regular garden volunteers.

Plenty of snails...

And the odd newt or two!

Some pretty bright orange day lillies...

Unearthing a bit of paving...

We were really fortunate for bright sunshine throughout the day though, 

even this frog with trying to catch a tan...

Look how lush it is!!!

At lunch we were treated to some cherry jam made

 by one our volunteers Todd, along with some fresh rolls baked by Chris to enjoy it with.

Thank you Todd!!! Absolutely delicious!

After lunch we got back to work! 

We unearthed this patio buried under a mass of foliage.

The flower beds got a good weeding too; hopefully one day 

they will be full of medicinal plants again!

A Red Admiral butterfly enjoying some buddleia flower nectar in the sun! Look at that BLUE sky!!!

Our day wasn't over though as, with the good weather still holding,

 it was the perfect opportunity to give our trusty minibus a spruce up! 

Many trips worth of volunteering grime...

Chris really got stuck into the cleaning...

...And even got chance to practice his mountaineering skills 

scaling the bus roof..

After many buckets of soapy water the bus was squeaky clean...

Mike-PEA Team