Author Archives: Neil Frost

It was great to welcome two new volunteers to the OWL litterpick today. Especially as several of our regular OWLs, for understandable reasons, couldn’t get along.

First the intros and the important Health and Safety considerations. Then off to pick up the rubbish in the woods.

Chewing your balls this much probably requires hospital treatment and although there’s one nearby there’s a nurses’ strike today.

No time for chewing their balls, our volunteers were there to remove the various items of litter that get scattered around. Condoms and condom sachets; lube sachets; tissues and wipes.

Clearly some cruisers like to ensure their oral action is undertaken with care.

Although it’s not the busiest of times in the woods there is still some activity occurring and full sacks were brought back to base.

Then time for refreshments, a friendly chat and a friendly wave.

And back to more litterpicking and more emptying of the black sacks we leave in the various hot spots (PLEASE use them – it’s often easier to chuck rubbish in a sack than to throw it carelessly in the bushes)

Finally, the sealing of the bags.

And the sacks left ready for collection tomorrow morning.

Another good result. The equivalent of 17 sacks of rubbish collected today, plus a further 16 collected by our brilliant Solo OWLs, giving a total for this month of 35 sacks of rubbish. And two new OWLs with better knowledge of the cruising area – which we hope they will put to good use!

(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)

Our first OWL Litterpick of 2023 (by the way, OWL stands for OUT With Litter!).

Only the two OWL volunteers today – work commitments and illness had meant others couldn’t attend.

Not the best day to be litterpicking due to the rain. But it could have been worse and in any case, if we say there will be a litterpick on a particular day then we’ll be there, rain or shine!

There’s often a ‘theme’ that runs through the litter we collect. Today’s was ‘coffee cups’. Loads of them. Ronald and his friends must have been doing really well over the Festive Season.

Despite there being only two of us, we are experienced litterpickers, know what to do and where to go.

So, despite the rain we just got on with it (the way you do!). Damp tissues made our sacks much heavier than usual (and heavy sacks need to be unloaded regularly!). Working efficiently meant that we managed to cover the entirety of the woods – emptying sacks stapled to trees, the bin and litter chucked on the ground and in the bushes – before stopping for our refreshment break.

After which it was just a matter of tying the sacks up and putting them by the road for collection by our friends the Forest Wardens.

Just three sacksful collected today.

But our solo litterpickers have been out and about since our December litterpick (thanx!), meaning that in the last month a total of SIXTEEN sacksful of litter have been collected.

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)

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)