Four GoodGym runners joined the CREOS team on their first official monthly workday since 2020 became a bonanza for the hand sanitiser set.

James and Caz grabbed a spade and pair of secateurs apiece and got to work clearing the drainage ditch running along the Boundary Oak Walk. CREOS has done a lot of work to rehabilitate this particular pathway in recent months - they'll be laying hoggin on it this week and GoodGym will be helping out on Thursday evening, do join us! - yet recent heavy downpours had filled the drain with organic debris. Utilising nudge theory, we first encouraged this debris to clear off using positive reinforcement; these "micronudges" were soon followed by interventions of a more macro nature.

Meanwhile Steve and Becca waged war on the weeds, roots and myriad other floral unsavouries that had invaded the wildflower meadow, in fragrant disregard of social distancing etiquette. They surgically removed poplars, excavated some seriously epic root structures and secured the perimeter around the hazel saplings aka 'the good guys'. All while fighting off a combined assault of nettles, brambles and at least one wasp. Courage under fire and all that.

It was the kind of day where you stop and wonder aloud, "Are nettles the caviar of the animal world?"

Three GoodGymmers ran and biked to the Crouch End Open Space in Crouch End to assist the CREOS team with maintaining one of the pathways through its wooded areas.

We've been helping CREOS rehabilitate this particular pathway for three weeks now. Today Steve C and James went back and forth with wheelbarrow loads of aggregate which they spread on the path where Glenys from CREOS and Steve L spread it out.

Meanwhile Steve L was busy rebuilding the edge of a section of the pathway - complicated work that involved variously digging, scraping, refilling, landscaping and the lugging of logs. Before and after shots attest to his great work there.

Halfway through our work it started raining but we'd already scheduled an all-important coffee break. Today we paired Steve's flask-warmed coffee with Fox's white chocolate chip biscuits, which, the packaging reliably assured us, provide more yum per crumb. There were no complaints on that score.

As is usually the case the coffee break made everything better, and sure enough, the rain stopped in time for us to begin again. Cheers to that.