Getting into a Scrape in Norfolk

Last week I joined the North Norfolk Workout Team who are a group of students, retirees locals and internationals. We cleared vegetation from a dried out pond to help it hold water and therefore protect what is already there and increase the diversity of species (invertebrates, amphibians, plants etc.) that can use it.



Above: Amelia and I made friends whilst getting into a few scrapes together! I learned that a scrape is a shallow pond!



Above: All my new friends! Visit http://www2.btcv.org.uk/display/findbtcv to find your local group and make some new friends of your own!

Strategic Plan 2009 - 2013

I have recently been honoured with an invite to the ELSE (Eastern, London & South East region) Strategic Plan event on Friday 18th September. BTCV have launched their strategic plan for 2009 - 2013 this year and I am excited to meet all the people within the region who work so hard to provide opportunities to inspire people and improve places.



You can see me here reading the stragtegic plan! I have even picked out my favourite phrase: 'will reduce food miles and the carbon impact of "field to fork" distribution.'

I am particularly happy that my four pronged colleagues got an honourable mention!

Keep an eye out for more of my adventures but you should know by now that I love a good rhyme so here is my Strategic Rap:

If you be a volunteer, I say, please do hear!
Bring your own food, and you we will include!
Problems we solve, you we will involve!
We love a good fire, it is people we inspire!
We dig a good groove, it is places we improve!
We’d love to see your faces, in lots of places!
Pick up a spade and learn a new trade!
There will be tea, to fill you with glee!
We plant trees and we love the bees!
We like a good fig and we love to dig!
We enjoy the outdoors, even when it pours!
We help plants to flower, it is people we empower!
Yes, it is true, it is you we value!

Cover Boy!

Could this be the start of a new career? Something to fall back on when my BTCV adventure draws to a close? Though I'm not sure I could handle the pressure of 5am starts, and I'd always prefer to be 'au naturel' than spend half the day in make-up. Anyway, what am I thinking? As long as BTCV is around, there will always be people to meet, plots to dig and trees to plant. I think I'll stick to what I was made for.

You can check out BTCV Roots magazine by downloading it from here or, if you want a paper copy, please send a request to information@btcv.org.uk

I have made my way down to the South West of England. Latest adventures coming soon!

Time to Rhyme

'"Community Allotment"'? What's that?' I said.
'You'll soon find out if you get out of bed'.
Ready and willing, I arrived to find,
fruit and vegetables of every kind.
The onions and garlic in neat little rows,
being tended and weeded by people with hoes.
I was sad to see that the peas had been massacred ,
but happy when Suzy showed me her brassicas.
'Have a look at my leeks' I heard John say,
but I'd seen plenty already and headed the other way.
'Wow! It's a jungle.' 'No don't be silly,
It's a Wildlife Garden' said a boy called Billy.



'We're making a Bog Pond and attracting crop-friendly bugs,
so that we can get rid of pests and slugs'.
I pointed left to what looked like a funnel,
Jean quickly exclaimed, 'It's our polytunnel.
It's great for setting seeds, and avoiding bad weather,you see,
but equally good for enjoying biscuits and tea.
'Come inside Doug'. I did and, my, it was snug,
We laughed, and they roared, IF YOU 'DIG IT', DO IT WITH DOUG!'
My allotment adventure is drawing to a close,
but lots of pictures, I happily did pose.

Click onto http://www.btcvbedfordshire.blogspot.com/and you will see an assortment,of me, Doug 'digging it' down at the allotment.

Doug gets serious, but not for long...

I awoke from my Bedfordshire slumbers and came down the apples and pears ready for another days hard graft.

Today was a tree planting day, so as you can imagine, I was in my element! I like to flex my muscles and get dug in, sorry, I meant get stuck in, planting trees. Today wasn't about learning new things, for me, it was about reducing my carbon footprint. Trees provide shade, absorb rainfall, dissipate excess water runoff and create cooler micro-climates.

As it is BTCV's 50th birthday this year, my friend Jim Green (not of Green Gym fame) gave me a lend of this piece of BTCV memorabilia, an old BTCV badge. You can see me wearing it with pride.









More bits from BTCV's history

Yet again, it was a humorous day out and I can't resist sharing this joke with you from my mate Bill Hook;

Q: Do you know the difference between weasels and stoats?
A: One is weasily recognisable and the other is stoatily different!

Hmmm...Not sure comedy is his strong point. I think he should stick to cutting through shrubs and branches!

A long days work in Bedfordshire sends Doug happily up the wooden hills

I was keen to meet the volunteers and see what kind of work they get up to in this new county, so within half an hour of arriving I'd made myself comfortable in the mini-bus.

I met BTCV Ed, Bedfordshire Practical Project Officer (and fellow blogger!). I said, "You know, these volunteers really are a good bunch. They think it's a hoot having me along on project. Everywhere I go, people have a great sense of humour!"

BTCV Ed said "Humour is just one of many things that you will find makes BTCV projects so good."

"I'm beginning to realise that," I said, "I learn something new everywhere I go. What do you think I will learn today?"

BTCV Ed said "A traditional skill, Doug. Hedgelaying"

I said, "Wow, isn't that really difficult?"

BTCV Ed said "Ha, ha, ha!! That's where you will have to find out for yourself!"

Afterwards, I said to Ed, "That was a hard days work. Laying a tree is not as hard as you might think but laying a whole hedge needs experience!"

BTCV Ed said "That's why we have experienced leaders to train people and offer advice."

I said "Cool. I think more people should be told about BTCV, but right now I'm cream crackered. When are we going home?"

BTCV Ed said "Now Doug!"

I said "I call Shotgun!"

I can't wait to meet more of the volunteers from this neck of the woods. After a good nights rest, I'll be ready for another BTCV adventure - but with all this excitement, I just hope I can sleep!

To see Bedfordshire volunteering opportunities, click here.

Doug ja vu?

I was looking through BTCV's Photo Archive and found this photo. Looks familiar, doesn't it? It's my friend, Professor Bellamy, planting the One Millionth Tree of BTCV's Million Tree Campaign on a windswept Lancashire hill in February 1991.

And just have a look at that lovely looking spade he's got! With looks like that, we must be related.