Author Archives: Neil Frost

Our Annual Festive Litterpick.

With eight willing volunteers taking part we could make quick work of litterpicking .

Two teams set off to deal with the areas of the woods either side of the car park.

Soon, OWL volunteers were to be seen in various parts of the woods.

Some more festive than others

Some proud of what they had collected.

And some just proud of who they are!

We’d made such quick work that it was soon time for our Festive Refreshments – including mulled wine and mince pies.

Best wishes for the Festive Season from the OWLs!

Another good clearance of all litter in the cruising areas. Twelve sacks today.

 Which added to the twenty four sacks collected by several OWLs working solo at other times, gives a total since the last litterpick of THIRTY SIX sacks.

Merry Christmas!

(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)

What’s not to like when we have a team of five experienced OWLs willing to take part in a litterpicking session? That was the situation today.

Several of our Solo Owls had done some excellent work keeping the levels of litter down, making today’s task do-able.

Two teams set off to clear the area to the right of the car park, as far as Woodford New Road.

Nice to see the grass growing in the Nude Sunbathing Area. And good to see the permanent rubbish sacks being appropriately-used too.

We know that cows used to graze in the area, but sheep?!

Plenty of excellent work done, so back to base for some welcome refreshments.

Then off to do more of the same, dealing with the areas not yet visited. Then back to base one last time.

And finally the placing of today’s rubbish sacks at the roadside ready for collection.

Another good haul. The equivalent of seventeen sacks of rubbish today, plus another thirty collected by our Solo Litterpickers giving a total for the last month of FORTY SEVEN sacks of rubbish.

We don’t think the woods have ever been as litter free as they were when we left them today. But how long will that last for….?

Nice to be thanked by dog walkers and passers by for the litterpicking we do.

(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 only had two OWLs available to undertake today’s litterpick – several had other commitments. So it was lucky that another OWL colleague had spent a few hours cleaning up the area last Saturday.

We’ve had so much experience that we reckon we could probably do much of our litterpicking blindfolded! (several OWLs are pretty good at finding what they are looking for at Snaresbrook when it’s dark!). However recently any of us has done a litterpick there’s always more to do.

Obviously popular facilities here. Jut a shame that the facility of the rubbish sack isn’t obvious to some. 

Working hard deserves a break to refuel and reload!

Next, off for more. Then a return to base, the tying of the bags and delivery to the road for collection by our friendly Forest Wardens.

The equivalent of 7 regular-size sacks collected today. Our ‘solo pickers’ have worked exceptionally hard since the last group litterpick, collecting a total of the equivalent of 42 of our regular-sized sacks between them. So in total FORTY SEVEN sacks in the last month. Brilliant! (but at the same time disappointing as so much of the rubbish could have been put into one of our resident sacks in hotspots, or into one of the bins)

(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)

It was good to be able to welcome two new OWLs to today’s OWL litterpick. They soon adopted the essential skills of litterpicking, showing impressive understanding and a determination to do the job well.

Safety briefing first, then off to work we go. Two teams heading off to deal with different areas of the cruising ground.

Someone had removed our black sacks from the Nude Sunbathing Area and rodents had been chewing at another of our black sacks. Replacements were needed.

There’s always plenty of litter to collect – although thankfully much of it was in our black sacks. Not in this area, though, which has clearly seen plenty of action. Much better once cleaned up.

With so much hard work being done it was only fair to take a break for refreshments. Which, like today, generally involve a friendly chat and some interesting information being shared.

Then off to do more of the same but in different places. Some were interested to discover how much territory this cruising ground covers. It’s extensive.

With several hours of hard work being put in, and with the majority of the area having been covered, time to return to base and place our haul ready for collection. The equivalent of 20 of our regular-size sacks of rubbish today.

And our solo litterpickers have been busy in the last month, out on their own, collecting litter and emptying sacks and bins so that they didn’t overflow. Huge thanks to them for the valuable work they have done. Between them they’ve collected about 48 sacks of litter.

Giving a grand total for this month of 68 sacks of litter. Not surprising for the month of August – but so much could so easily have been taken away rather then relying on the OWLs to remove it.

A note for regular OWL Litterpick attendees. Our October litterpick is, as usual, on the first Tuesday of the month – 4^th October. The November Litterpick will be on 8^th November (NOT the first Tuesday) with our Christmas Special Litterpick on 6^th December.

(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)

Just four OWLs at today’s litterpick but this was a Parliament (parliament = the collective name for a group of owls) that did far more work than other parliaments we know of!

All experienced OWL litterpickers. All knowing what to do and where to go. So we just got on with it.

These sacks are emptied several times per week. We SO wish someone wouldn’t shit in one of them! (how do they do it?!)

The Explosion in a Kleenex Factory has moved!

Careful scanning to find every last piece of litter

Of course, time for  break and some well-earned refreshments.

Then back to more work. Funny the things we find!

Another good haul.

The equivalent of 27 of our regular sacks. Plus a stunning 49 by three solo litterpickers who visit at other times. That’s a total of 76 sacks of litter this month!

(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)