Author Archives: Neil Frost

We knew that the woods would be busy over a Bank Holiday weekend, so we had already planned an extra litter-picking session in addition to our ‘second Tuesday of the month’ sessions. And when the weather turned out the way it did we knew guys would be tempted to strip down to the bare minimum and head to the woods to cruise both day and night. And that meant that there would be plenty of litter. ‘Straight’ litter like plastic and glass bottles and cans, and ‘gay’ litter like condoms, condom foils, lube sachets and wipes.

Just two of us today. But as there seem to be other helpers, assisting us by undertaking their own litterpicking (thanks guys!) many, but not all, of the hotspots were fairly clean. The rubbish sacks in them were pretty full in many cases – proving to us that leaving them in strategic places really does work.

This is the way we like to find our rubbish sacks; full to the brim, and with no litter around them.

Despite having only two volunteers involved we managed to cover all of the areas we routinely visit. Having skilled and experienced guys doing the work makes it quick and easy.

Another of the OWL sacks – this one on The Mound. Appropriately used and nothing on the ground around it.

Time for a break – lugging all those sacks back to base was a challenge – then off for more. And after the counting of the sacks and the apparent end of the session, one of our team headed off to deal with even more litter.

So another impressive sack-count for a team of two people – 12 sacks of recycling and 13 of general rubbish.

Our next OWL Litterpick is on Tuesday, 10^th September. All are welcome to join us.

 (Please note, we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session)

Another opportunity for guys who visit the area of the woods, for whatever reason, to join in an OWL litterpick and help make the area acceptable for everyone. There is a range of users of the area – from families to cruisers, cyclists, walkers, joggers, dog walkers – and all have the right to be there.

It might be expected that, with a bin at the side of the car park it wouldn’t be difficult to use it. Many do. But some don’t…

A few minutes with a litter picker soon sorted that out!

We were six OWLs in total today, the group benefitting from a new member taking part, quickly getting used to the techniques used and, it has to be said, with an admirable attention to detail, spotting litter that might otherwise have been missed.

OWL litterpicks have settled down to a format that seems to work for everyone and means that our efforts are efficient and productive. Ensuring that we have ‘fixed’ rubbish sacks in some of the most-used ‘hot spots’ has led to a pleasing increase in the amount of litter that goes into the sacks and not onto the ground.

Our OWLs cheerfully move through the woods picking up litter on and around the paths and in the various nooks and crannies where guys ‘play’.

Judging by the number of wet wipes in some places a lot of wiping had gone on!

With a piece of drain pipe that big someone must have been well-drained!

A welcome stop for some refreshments, with those present at the time and willing to be in a picture, enjoying their break.

Despite having had to be elsewhere one of our regulars raced to take part in a significant part of the morning’s work.

More of the same after our break. Having been removing sexual debris and other rubbish from the cruising area over several years now, we know that there is much less litter thrown away than there used to be, and more taken away by considerate guys who understand how offensive it can be to others.

Eventually it was time to return to base, staple up the rubbish sacks and leave them at the roadside for collection.

Another good haul. 15 sacks of general rubbish and 12 of recycling.

Thanks again to our hard-working team!

 (Please note, we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session)

Today’s work party was an ‘extra’, planned to deal with what we knew would be additional amounts of general rubbish and sexual debris resulting from increased activity during the better weather.

Just a select three of us – one of our regulars couldn’t make it – but nevertheless, despite the hot sun, good progress was made.

Breaking with tradition, and being strict with ourselves on the way about not being distracted by obvious rubbish, we headed straight to the naked sun bathing area. We always aim to cause the minimum disruption to whatever else is going on and getting there early meant that there would be fewer sunbathers than later on. And that was the case. Whilst there was plenty for us to do nearby, the naked sunbathing area itself is probably the area where there is practically no litter no the ground and its all in the rubbish sack we leave there.

One benefit of an OWL litterpicking session is that sometimes we get to see some nice sights and today at the naked sunbathing section was no exception. Plus, not only was it good to see some lovely naked bodies, our joy was made greater by being thanked for what we were doing. OWL was known about!

As usual there was plenty to do and it wasn’t long before our sacks were full to overflowing.

Just time on the route back to the car park to call by a few other areas that needed attention. We’ve noticed that as time goes by there is usually less litter on the ground in the ‘hotspots’ than we would otherwise expect and more and more litter in the rubbish sacks we’ve left around.

Then a long carry of full sacks back to the car park which, of course, means time for some refreshments; the energy intake being needed for the second part of this litterpicking session.

As usual some swapping of stories and an interest in each other’s lives.

Then off for more, with two heading in one direction – to deal with The Mound and surrounding areas, and one heading off towards Eagle Pond. Both found plenty to do.

And the final bag-count?

Thirteen bags of general rubbish and ten of recyclables. That’s another success.

 (Please note, we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session)

Another opportunity for the OWLs to get busy picking up litter in the woods, making the place better for everyone and reducing the likelihood that other users of the area will complain about what they regard as offensive litter. Some of us might regard a dirty used condom hanging from a tree as normal, others might not.

Interestingly, today a number of passers-by asked if we were volunteers (which of course we are!), thanked us, and said how impressed they were with our efforts – and the amount of rubbish we collected.

The usual start, heading as a team off through the woods, taking in most of the hot spots where horny action takes place. And good to see that so many of the black bags we’ve left in place were being well-used. It’s a bit of a pain emptying some of them, but if used condoms, condom sachets, lube sachets, tissues and wipes end up in them, rather than being discarded in the area around, then we are happy OWLs!

One of the early OWLs put a bin in the middle of the woods to encourage guys to put their litter in it. It’s been well-used by lots of people, especially at weekends when the weather is good. Unfortunately, as it’s not an ‘official’ bin the litter doesn’t get collected from it. A kind Forest Warden used to empty it for us, but he’s now retired. So if we aren’t available to catch up with emptying it, it overflows and the foxes dig into it.

Much better once we’ve visited!

With skilled regulars taking part we can cover a lot of ground pretty quickly, visiting those areas which get most use.

Of course we don’t just confine ourselves to the hotspots, those little dens where guys go to have fun in private. We try to cover the whole area with, at this time of year, drink bottles and cans occupying our time in lots of places.

With about as many full bags as we could carry between us it was soon time to head back to base and enjoy a break, a chat and a catch up.

Then, back for more, and on the way time to do a bit of selective pruning in order to make it easier to get to popular areas.

Someone has been littering the place with green, domestic, Waltham Forest recycling bags. Far too many, so they look more like litter than any litter that gets put inside them. But worse still, hung pathetically from bushes beside the path where they get torn apart by the foxes and the litter gets strewn about. And they don’t get emptied! What’s the point of them? We really don’t get it. Nor do the Epping Forest Wardens who disapprove of them.

There’s never enough time to cover everywhere, but between us we’d had a good crack at it and the bag-count at the end showed how well we’d done! 12 sacks of recyclable rubbish and 18 of general rubbish (much of it being sexual debris).

Another good session in the woods!

 (Please note, we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session)

We win some and we lose some! Today we were winners. Not only did the rain hold off, making litterpicking a lot more bearable, but someone seemed to have visited some of the areas we routinely clear up and made a pretty reasonable job of it. What’s not to like?! (well actually, what we don’t like – and nor do the Epping Forest Wardens – is the random hanging up of green ‘Waltham Forest’ recycling rubbish sacks; they look a mess, there are far too many of them; foxes tear them open; they blow about; they don’t get emptied)!

As usual we set off with enthusiasm and determination along our usual route.

It’s always good to come across areas where rather than chuck litter away on the ground it’s been thrown in the rubbish sacks that have been put there for just that purpose.

The work of others meant that in many places we could just do the final bits of tidying up and move on – making progress much faster. And as usual leaving time for us to study some of the more unusual litter (not featured here, but a giant bottle of mouthwash suggested an adherence to very high standards of oral hygiene!)

The OWLS (OUT With Litter) pride themselves on knowing the majority of the ‘hot spots’ – places most likely to be used for sexual encounters. And, sadly, not all of them are used by people who are considerate in using the rubbish sacks, preferring just to throw their rubbish on the ground. Here’s a ‘before’ and ‘after’

Before

After

With much of the area of the cruising ground covered a welcome break for friendly refreshments.

Then on to more distant parts, ensuring that the majority of ‘hot spots’ had been cleared up and that all of the ‘permanent’ rubbish sacks, left discretely for after-shag use, had been emptied and replaced.

And finally back to base

Time to staple the bags up, to prevent them being emptied before collection, and then the arrangement at the roadside ready for collection by our Epping Forest warden friends.

Then either departure for home, or an opportunity for some quality control (not necessarily of the litterpicking variety…!) or time to do a bit of maintenance on some of the ‘permanent’ bags.

 (Please note, we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session)