Today’s Green Gym session was more about mental than physical exercise. Working in Morley Quarry (Shepshed), we were surveying the range of plants growing there. The longest step was identifying what we found. Some, like nettles and brambles, were easy but others, like Perforate St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) were less familiar and needed looking up with a variety of books and online tools. After a tea break, we set to counting, trying to estimate the balance of coverage between the different species found. Just for the corner I was on, there were over 30 different types of plant and I don’t think I managed a wonderful level of activity.

Hopefully, though, it will at least serve as a baseline for future surveys. The ranger team want to conduct such surveys several times a year and keep records of how it changes with the seasons, over the years and under the influence of their management plan.