Westbury Banks Nature Reserve

Help locals create a nature reserve
"The Westbury Banks Nature Reserve is a community lead project to transform derelict land into a nature reserve. All work on the site is on a voluntary basis and the management of the site is done free of charge! There are big plans to install a storage unit for the equipment, a mural, a log path with wood chipping, a pond for amphibious for wildlife and a grand insect hotel

113 GoodGymers have supported Westbury Banks Nature Reserve with 62 tasks.


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Previous sessions
HaringeyGroup run
Sarah MooreDave MansfieldLatoya StephensVeronika

We'll get you next time Oswald Cobblepot!

Wednesday 12th February

Written by Dave Mansfield

Our 4 heoric heros tackled the terrible trash that had built up at the Westbury Nature Reserve!

While our fearless leader Commisioner Gramps was out town some dastardly villain had been chucking umbrellas over into nature reserve!

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But with the finest in Wayne Enterprises litter picking technology we soon dealt with the problem, and retired to a nearby hostelry to celebrate.

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HaringeyGroup run
Sarah MooreEuclides MontesDave MansfieldJulie FisherLatoya Stephens

GGen Z Vibes. Slay

Wednesday 25th September 2024

Written by Euclides Montes

6 GG besties were giving absolute slaps vibes as they gave the Westbury Banks Nature Reserve a bussin' glow up. We stan <3

Ok Storytime

The Westbury Banks Nature Reserve took living its best brat summer a bit too seriously, leaving it looking a little cheugy. No cap, it was absolute rank. Big yikes.

Our GG Fam jumped into action, full of rizz and drip. Gramps took a quick vibe check from this bunch of absolute snacks and we were then ready for some action.

We were clearing the overgrown trees on the steps by the side of the Reserve, which were in mad need of a proper trim. The secateurs understood the assignment but it was the giant snippy snips with their BDE that saved the evening.

Time to spill the tea. Latoya was giving proper main character vibes and got well salty with Gramps over a little joke about spiders. It didn't help when he had a proper situationship with a smol arachnid towards the end of the task. Fam is fam, however, and by the end of the eve we were all besties again. Bet.

Finna bring this to an end, so let's just say that once we were done, we all decided it was time for some rehydration so we went to a boujee tavern for drinks

This evening ATE.

Hit us up next week as we help the Meadow Orchard with a squirrel scouts space. Sus.

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HaringeyGroup run
Euclides MontesNiamh Ni LongainJulie FisherNurjehanEdward BarrettClare HurstNasser

Bush Not Pictured

Wednesday 5th June 2024

Written by Euclides Montes

Seven Goodgymmers journeyed deep into the heart of darkness as they battled with the temperate jungle that had taken over the Westbury Banks Nature Reserve.

Watch It Bring You To Your N-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-nees. Knees!

It was a 'welcome to the jungle/ we got fun and games/ we got everything you want, honey/ we know the names' kind of evening for our Goodgymmer tonight as they put pedal to the metal and partook in some heavy-duty gardening at the Westbury Banks Nature Reserve.

Let's call a spade a spade, that was a hard task. The Reserve has found itself without a lot of attention over the last few months, and it showed as the site was overgrown to such an extent that we had to start strimming from the gate to create a way into the tool shed! It turns out you leave nature alone and it explodes.... who knew!

Our Goodgymmers were undeterred and on they ploughed like total badasses, with Nasser in his sophomore task leading the way blazing a trail for the rest of us with his trusty strimmer.

Not far behind, Julie armed herself with a hedge trimmer and attacked the overgrown fields of stinging nettles with gusto, while Nurjehan and Niamh, armed with loopers, gave the taller trees a trim. Ed and Clare in the meantime, cleared Amazonic levels of foliage and debris and made sure it was all composted nicely at the back of the Reserve. Our hour came and went before you knew it, so we tidied the tools away, took some selfies, and made our way home, the stinging of the nettles burning strong on our naked legs. Definitely a win for the Hardcore Crew! 

New task next week - Come!!!

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HaringeyGroup run
Euclides MontesDave MansfieldClare Hurst

Where the Wild(flower) Things Are

Wednesday 27th March 2024

Written by Euclides Montes

Three hardcore Goodgymmers visited the Westbury Banks Nature Reserve for a spot for wildflower planting.

They first got the beds ready, by pulling out loads of ivy and deeply-rooted weeds.

Then, they sprinkled wildflower seeds everywhere like little fairy dust. Fingers crossed for a flowery meadow this summer!

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HaringeyGroup run
Euclides MontesDave MansfieldNiamh Ni LongainCharlie Linton

Stuck In A Root

Wednesday 28th February 2024

Written by Euclides Montes

4 Goodgymmers battled with the slippery slopes at the Westbury Banks Nature Reserve as they lent a hand to the Friends group with a bit of a facelift.

Ivy'n Told There Are No Ivy Puns Left To Use

Dave, Niamh, Charlie, and Yours Truly came together on a very drizzly night in Turnpike Lane for a spot of tree planting at the Westbury Banks Nature Reserve.

The Friends group is hoping to create a natural cover for the Reserve and we came to help. We planted a total of 18 trees along the fence on the Westbury Avenue border of the site in the hope that as they grow, there will create a green flowery screening for this much loved green space.

It wasn't all plain sailing, however. We had to fight against a very stubborn ivy cover that had spread all along the floor and its roots were asphyxiating everything around it. While Dave and Charlie discussed how to best deal with it, Niamh took matters into her own hands and, with surgical precision, proceeded to pull the s%$£ out of the poor ivy. The creeping evergreen didn't stand a chance. Before you knew it, Charlie and Dave, armed with loppers and spades had joined in the carnage and the ivy was no more.

We tidied the newly-dug up bed and tucked in the new trees.

14 dog roses, 3 hazels, and a blackthorn are now sitting proudly along the fence at the Reserve and they will hopefully have fewer battles with the resident ivy.

By 8pm, and in the absence of our much-loved and much-missed timekeeper, it fell to Gramps to call an end to the proceedings. But not before we made time for some selfies and quizzing Dave about this week's Film Club offering.

Come next week!

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HaringeyGroup run
+4
Edward BarrettCharlie LintonAngelikiNinaJacob HarrisonNaoko Ishihara

Starter For Ten

Sunday 14th January 2024

Written by Euclides Montes

10 Goodgymmers wrestled away from their warm duvets on a very chilly Sunday morning and headed to the Westbury Banks Nature Reserve for a smorgasboard of tasks.

Big Noise Corner!

Everybody make some noise for Nina, Naoko, Jacob, Ed, and Angeliki who all joined us for their first ever Goodgym task. They all bounded full of hope and enthusiasm as they met Gramps at the basketball courts in Turnpike Lane for our first taster session of the year and they were ace. Hope to see you all again soon - unless you're about to set off for a 4-month tour of the Caribbean (wink, wink, Nina) in which case, hope to see you in the summer. Bring Gramps some rum, please.

"I've only ever run for the bus"

Actual words, actually spoken by an actual person at a Goodgym task this weekend! Wonderful Angeliki not only did smash her Goodgym debut on Sunday but she also did her first actual run ever as an adult. With us. On a freezing weekend morning. She very sneakily only pointed this out halfway through a fun fitness session at the end of the task (!) as she was asking what other Goodgyms she could go to. Yes, that's a tear in Gramps eye. No, it's not the rum talking #DryJan Running looks good on you, Angeliki! 💪🏾

"We love the smell of stirred pond in the morning"

The Wood Green community has big plans for the WBNR this Spring and we were beckoned to help this weekend.

So 8 runners, 2 cyclists, and 2 1/2 walkers met at the Reserve to start clearing the accessible paths ahead of some community workshops later in the year. Storm Xxx had knocked down some big trees and Ed, Nina, and Angeliki armed themselves with heavy duty loppers and started clearing up the biggest branches from the paths. Jacob, Latoya, Kathleen, Charlie and John concentrated on some hardcore weeding of the main accessible path at the bottom of the site. Meanwhile, Naoko, Jase, Marie and little Artemis carried out a very thorough litter pick.

It was a busy hour and our team did a cracking job, leaving the Reserve pretty clean and half of the accessible path cleared. The ground was too cold for tree-planting so we protected the young trees as much as we could and we are looking for a date in the diary to return and finish the job.

Once finished, Jase, Marie, and Artemis walked home and Naoko and Jacob also cycled homewards. Latoya, Angeliki, John, and Nina walked back to Turnpike Lane to wait for Charlie, Kathleen, Edward, and Gramps who ran back for a quick fitness session. We played some twisted Rock/Paper/Scissors before Latoya inevitably tortured us all with Moby's Flower - if you know, you know.

After a good ol' GGHaringey high five, we also said goodbye and went off our merry ways.

As taster sessions go, that was a peach. Boom

Ready for more? Meet us on Wednesday for Tottenham Green shenanigans!

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