Busy bees and budding botanists!

9 Goodgymers helped their local community in Portsmouth
Jen Stoneham
Finnuala
Aoife
Nick Savage
Wilson
Katie Carew-Robinson
Julie Blake
Jane
Dave M
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Portsmouth

Sunday 22nd October 2023

Credits
Wilson
Wilson

PHOTOGRAPHER

Julie Blake
Julie Blake

SESSION ORGANISER

Jane
Jane

PHOTOGRAPHER

Dave M
Dave M

PHOTOGRAPHER

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Report written by Julie Blake

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9 Goodgymers were divided into 3 teams to conquer a very ambitious list of greening tasks over just a few hours.

Dave led the Gangster Gardeners (name borrowed from the inspiring Ron Finley - please watch his TED Talk). Their team led a litter pick and gifted hanging flower baskets to vacant hooks all along the road.

Jane led the Budding Botanists with homing almost 100 plants from Southsea's waterfront garden centre into planters and baskets, and decorate them with strings of solar fairy lights to brighten up the night for local residents (both human and canine)!

Aoife led the Brush Brigade to miraculously paint (and dry) 6 trough planters and a pallet in bright shades of green just in time for planting before the event ended.

There was a WILDLY successful raffle thanks to the careful counting of Wilson! A whopping 86 bins were left to linger on the pavements and hopefully we've gone a small way to encourage some positive change on the road with bringing loads of native pollinator plants for our birds, bees and butterflies to enjoy.

Many of our plants and pots were donated to be "re-loved" rather than thrown away, and 4 of our 6 large wooden planters were made from recycled timber with the proceeds from their purchase going to Second Chance Animal Rescue.

Thanks to all who came out to lend a hand and to event photographers Joe Watson and Zoe Munday, as well as event supporters Wilder Portsmouth, Natural England, The Package Free Larder, Portsmouth City Council, Fawcett Road Greening Group, and Bradite Paints.


This task supported

With the invaluable support of volunteers and members we manage over 50 nature reserves. We also work with other organisations and landowners to protect and connect wildlife sites across the county and inspire local communities and young people to care for wildlife where they live.

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Discuss this report
Katie Carew-Robinson

Mon 23rd Oct 2023 at 6:30pm

Congratulations Julie, epic organisation skills 👍👍 And the photos are excellent too.

Julie Blake

Mon 23rd Oct 2023 at 9:00pm

Thanks Katie! I love a clipboard and task list in case you couldn't tell!

Jane

Tue 24th Oct 2023 at 3:50pm

That was so well-organised and loads of fun. Great refreshments too! Thanks Julie!

Julie Blake

Tue 24th Oct 2023 at 4:21pm

You rocked it with the solar lights - thanks for all of you help!!

Laura Denham

Fri 27th Oct 2023 at 10:00pm

Looks like such a great task and the photos are amazing!

Julie Blake

Sat 28th Oct 2023 at 8:30am

Thanks Laura! The photographer is a friend of mine @joe_watson_photography

Join us on our next session

Portsmouth

Last beach clean of 2024!
🗓Tomorrow 10:00am

Join Final Straw volunteers

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