It seems a while since we’ve given an update, and it’s not because there’s been nothing to report.
Quite the opposite
It’s been a month, but Oh Girl, have we been busy!
And not just on the marsh.
Let’s start with the marsh though
A small posse has been tackling the dangerously beautiful Himalayan balsam.
It’s deep in the parts of the marsh only Marshians can reach but it has to be done. It’s a good excuse to get that deep in to what’s fast becoming a very special landscape. And it teems with life which we really appreciate.
We do need more help though. We’re not pulling it up fast enough and. Now it’s coming into flower.
Soon there will be seeds. And the seeds scatter from explosive pods, hundreds from each plant. We’ve got to stop it. If you have some time please lend us a hand. Please!!
It’s an adventure and it’s very sociable.
We’ve also introduced a few earthlings to the Marsh. But they’re not yet Marshians. I don’t think you’ve become an interplanetary being until you’ve done something. Like pull up some balsam.
Or clear a path.
That’s the other thing we’ve been doing. Stuff grows and if it’s hot and the marsh is wet it grows almost as fast as Balsam.
I know you know the marsh is wet, and as you also know it been hot. Real hot. That’s great growing conditions.
We asked the council to not cut the paths, that’s so we can do it. We just have to put our back into it.
The council’s footpath clearance has a few “issues”.
They leave it until it’s overgrown then bash it all back. We can do it much more sensitively.
So we go out and carefully cut back the paths. We also built a few benches and they were overgrown a bit too. We cut the paths and all around the benches.
The paths are a joy to use and the marsh looks well cared for.
Which of course it is.
We had some really great help for the finer standards of care. The 95th Reading scouts dropped in. They spent an afternoon snipping and raking so the path alongside the marsh is easier to use.
And now they are Marshians too!
Off the marsh Earth people are now looking at us and what we do, maybe they’re laughing at us but I like to think we’re inspiring others.
It seems we are.
There’s a terrific film about us and some of the other amazing things going on in our lovely green town.
We were dragged off the marsh to share our story and enthuse others.
We are not alone.
There are amazing Earthlings in this town.
It’s a shame they’re not running it.
Yet.
Reading has a Climate Change partnership and a festival to showcase what is not only possible but what is actually being done. The film is called “What if a better world is possible”
And of course it is.
The Climate change partnership has a Green Town Gang who are going to do to Reading what the Marshians are doing to Fobney. Bring back wildlife to the most nature depleted country in Europe.
From the comfort of a cool venue (as the air outside was hot enough to boil a frog) we hatched some plans.
If you want to be a part of that (and who on earth wouldn’t?) come and join in. Lots of info is on here and it isn’t just nature.
We know what happened when a planet over heats.
That’s why Marshians are here, and we are not alone. We have a story to tell.
Rural Reading 