The weather has been enough to make anyone Ratty. It was solid drizzle when Greening Wymondham set off early morning to collect its first full set of river samples. Complete with bucket, rope and ladder for those hard-to-reach spots. Yes, we’ve cut the rope since the picture was taken, having bought enough to test the Niagara Falls.

GW member Mike was navigator, safety officer and deviser of spreadsheets. All sites are now identified by What Three Words and OS map references, so we can test regularly in the same spots.

Gabriella Sciannamico is already an old hand at the sample testing – which we’ve now trialled three times. This Saturday it was the full five samples, being tested in nine categories including pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate and phosphate. We’re passing the results on to the Environment Agency.

The Tiffey also provided a nice cold hour of activity on another round of balsam bashing. Sadly, because it is a very pretty plant, it’s an invasive species. And persistent, too. By the time this article appears, we should also have cleared the barrage by Becketswell bridge – see the before picture.

If the river Tiffey is dear to your heart, please consider helping us test – or bash. Email Greening Wymondham at greening.wymondham@wymondham.com – and we’ll get in touch.

In autumn we’re also planting some of the land along the path that leads from Friarscroft to the Windmill Surgery. South Norfolk District Council – who have been enormously supportive – have recently put up fencing, to add to the clearance, drainage and new pond.

Damselflies love it. And it’s a good space to see butterflies on the pink hemp agrimony. We’ll be adding native species to the current mix and oxygenating plants to the two ponds.

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