Yesterday, the Scout team put in a full day to bring their project to a stage nearer completion. I called in during the afternoon and was astonished as to the amount of rubbish they’d pulled out of the shoreline and along the trail.
Since the last cleanup, several old squatter cottages metal chain link fences had been pulled up and laid along the trail ready for collection. Dead branches, logs and vines have all been cleaned out, more mowing to gain access to the water’s edge, and at last the trail has a serene park-like look to it.
Our dynamic team take a break and get inspected by Barkley (the best dog in the World)
Cooling off with drinks, and sorting our their merit points. Scouts get extra points for carrying out conservation projects like this. Barkley (the best dog in the world) and his pal Morgan are looking for some crumbs.
It’s so serene now, Morgan senses rabbits appearing any second. I’m looking forward to seeing families here having a picnic or a barbecue.
The Catalpa tree is in full bloom today. The trail is covered in the flower petals so the tree is pretty easy to find. If you’re downwind of it, you’ll get the heavy scent which reminds me of honey.
Some mulch from the previous cleanup has been spread along a new (old deer) trail, making a new entrance into the woods from the Oxbow trail.
There are now three points along the shoreline where boats can moor up. I particularly like to bring my dogs here in the boat, they think its great fun to go ‘walkies’ and get a boat ride thrown in!
During the past week or so, I’ve noticed youths fishing almost every day now the dead wood and weeds have been removed. Overhanging honeysuckle weeds are a real nuisance when trying to cast out, so most of them have been removed and disposed of.
If you decide to visit the Oxbow in the near future, please remember this plant – Garlic Mustard – and pull it up because it’s very invasive and alien see more info here Garlic mustard is allelopathic (it releases chemicals that hinder the growth of other plant species) and has inhibited growth of both grasses and herbs in laboratory settings.
The Oxbow Blog 