Category Archives: Pix and Picks

Volunteers’ Week. And thankfully six of our finest volunteers turned up for today’s OWL litterpick.

 Health and Safety briefing over we headed off, two teams in two directions, to clean up the cruising ground.

The bin we’ve installed gets good use. Much better to throw rubbish in the bin than chuck it on the ground. Thanks to those who use the bin.

There has been some serious growth since last month’s OWL litterpick. Including in the vegetation. So the trusty trimmer was in use. If you want your bush trimmed this is the gadget to use!

Some overgrown paths are now free to use.

Sadly the battery ran out before all paths could be opened up. We’ll be back.

In the meantime litterpicking continued.

Until it was time to take a break and have some refreshments.

Then for some of us back for more. There was no lack of litter.

Finally bags tied up and placed by the road ready for collection.

The sack-count this month? The equivalent of 23 sacksful collected today. Plus 32 collected by our solo litterpickers. Making a total this month of 55 sacksful of litter.

Please note that we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. There might have been more OWL volunteers taking part than are in the above pictures.

No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session.

Another excellent OWL litterpick today.

As usual we headed out to deal with different areas of the cruising ground.

It’s such a pity that some guys just dump their rubbish rather than put it in a nearby bin.

Not just litterpicking but also trimming back vegetation to make paths useable.

Good to see that the bin we’ve installed is well-used.

Work continued through the woods.

Until it was time for refreshments.  Always good to have a friendly chat together.

Then some of us stayed to do a bit more in the remoter areas of the cruising ground.

Someone’s come well-prepared. But we would recommend a water or silicon-based lube!

Eventually, with more full bags, time to return to base to put the bags by the road ready for collection. The equivalent of 19 of our standard-sized bags. Plus 34 collected by our solo litterpickers over the last month, giving a total for this month of 53 bags.

Please note that we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. There might have been more OWL volunteers taking part than are in the above pictures.

No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session.

A sunny day and a walk in the woods! What’s not to like?

Just four litter-picking volunteers today – but all skilled and three of them able-bodied!

It’s Spring! Someone’s come well-prepared for multiple sessions!

Our keen volunteers dealt with the litter and sexual debris both sides of the car park, eventually returning with multiple full sacks. We’ve added some extra rubbish sacks to an area being more frequently used for crusing than before.

Then time for a break, refreshments and a bit of a chat.

Time to be off for more litter-collecting, dealing with areas further away. Someone seems to have misinterpreted the ‘bring some poppers’ message!

Then back to base one more time, with the sacks being placed on the road for collection. Today’s haul equates to 22 of our standard size rubbish sacks.

In the last month our brilliant ‘solo’ volunteers have been out and about regularly. The equivalent of 41 standard-size sacks collected by them. Giving a grand total of 63 sacks of litter in just over a month. Amazing!

 Please note that we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. There might have been more OWL volunteers taking part than are in the above pictures.

No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session.

A great day for litterpicking and a good team of five volunteers to do it.

 Safety briefing over we headed off in two teams.

Although much of the area has been cleared of vegetation we OWLs know where to look!

Whether it’s in the bin or on the ground it gets collected. (such a pity that some guys can’t see that there’s a rubbish bag right beside where they carelessly chuck their litter).

Someone’s doing some advertising….

(PLEASE NOTE: The display of this sign on the OWL website does not indicate a recommendation or endorsement by OWL!)

With the entire area having been cleared, time to return to Base.

And to enjoy a chat and some well-earned refreshments.

Then simply the task of placing the bags at the roadside ready for collection.

Our total today – the equivalent of 17 of our standard-size rubbish sacks. Plus 29 collected by our solo litterpickers. Giving a total of 46 since our last OWL litterpick.

 Please note that we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. There might have been more OWL volunteers taking part than are in the above pictures.

No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session.

Several of our regular litterpickers had understandable reasons why they couldn’t take part in the litterpick today. Meaning it was left to three of us to get the litterpick completed. Not a problem. We just got on with it.

Funny what you find in the woods. This was beside what was, before the clearance, the nude sunbathing area. Someone was maybe looking to be power-drilled?!

We were looking for something filling of a different nature – refreshments!

Then, since we’d cleared the main areas and emptied our bin and rubbish sacks, an opportunity to sweep across the cleared area, finding litter that had maybe been there, hidden in the undergrowth, for many years.

This sack was once in a very secluded hot spot that had in the past seen a lot of horny action. Probably wise not to have any repeats now?

Finally back to the car park for the tying of the bags and placing them ready for collection.

Today’s haul amounted to the equivalent of 11 of our standard-size bags. Plus 32 sacks collected by four volunteers who undertake ‘solo’ litterpicking. Making a total of 43 sacks in the last bit-more-than-a-month.

 Good work!

 Please note that we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. There might have been more OWL volunteers taking part than are in the above pictures.

No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session.

Our first OWL litterpick of 2025. With the Habitat Restoration Project having done its nasty work there were less areas to visit, but nevertheless there’s still plenty of cruising going on in the areas that are left. Which is very good news. The bad news is that guys are still leaving lots of litter around. Which means that there’s a greater likelihood of complaints. Complaints can lead to ‘enforcement’.

But we OWLs are a positive, can do, group who value the opportunities that a good cruising area can offer. So, as usual, after a brief visit from an OWL generous enough to bring some refreshments, we set off cheerfully to clear the cruising area of sexual debris and other litter. Sometimes we litterpick alone. Often we work in twos and threes. Today we had four of us litterpicking. Two teams of two.

Although fewer areas to visit, there were still plenty of the cruising areas to cover.

 We took the opportunity to instal a number of rubbish sacks in ‘hot spots’ – nooks and crannies where guys go for some horny action. Hopefully these will be used for used condoms, sachets and wipes. And hopefully the twat(s) who has slashed and burned the sacks in the past, leaving piles of litter below where the sacks had been, will have got a life by now.

 A bit chilly, so we earned our warm mid-session refreshments. Our very kind OWL who couldn’t stay for the litterpick had dropped off some delicious, freshly-baked, sausage and vegetarian rolls. They went down well with hot drinks and other sweet goodies.

On to the other side of the car park after our break – the area between the car park and Eagle Pond where there’s plenty of vegetation to cruise in. Between us we collected quite a lot of litter there including the inevitable used condoms, condom and lube sachets and wipes. But at least it proved that there’s been some action there.

Then back to base to tie up the bags and place them at the roadside for collection by the Forest Warden refuse truck which calls by every day.

Today’s haul: the equivalent of 17 of our standard-size sacks. Added to the 24 equivalents collected by our three ‘solo’ litterpickers making a total of 41 sacks-worth.

 Another good haul.

 Please note that we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. There might have been more OWL volunteers taking part than are in the above pictures.

No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session.

Our Annual Festive OWL litterpick.

Today’s litterpick was over some territory we’re not used to. The so-called ‘habitat restoration programme’ is underway with undergrowth having been removed and many of the Hot Spots having been completely destroyed.

One effect is that a lot of rubbish that had been deep in the bushes was now on the surface and ready to be removed by our talented OWLs.

A litter sack on a tree – the only evidence left of what used to be a very convenient, secluded, ‘hot spot’. (We called it the Leisure Centre as it was close to a Hot Spot we called The Gymn!)

If there’s litter ready to be picked then our OWLs will be onto it.

Having covered everywhere that was accessible, time for our Festive Refreshments. By tradition, and very welcome, mulled wine, a variety of Waitrose mince pies, and other festive goodies – a treat appreciated by all of the OWLs.

Then just time to tie the sacks and place them near the road ready for collection.

The equivalent of 16 of our regular litter sacks collected today. And in the last month 23 collected by our three solo Owls – giving a grand total of 39 for the month

 Please note that we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. There might have been more OWL volunteers taking part than are in the above pictures.

No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session.

Despite two of our regular volunteers not being able to be there, nevertheless, we had a good turnout. And the weather wasn’t too bad either.

This litterpick was typical of what we are used to. Several groups and individuals taking on different parts of the cruising area

Then back to base with our spoils.

Brought from a number of directions.

Always good to catch up over a cup of tea or coffee.

Finally a count-up of the sacks.

The equivalent of 17 of our standard-size bags. With a further, impressive, 41 sacks collected by our solo litterpickers in the last month that’s a total of 58 sacks this month. Thanks to everyone who takes part in OWL litterpicking. It makes a difference!

 Please note that we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. There might have been more OWL volunteers taking part than are in the above pictures.

No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session.

Another threesome in the cruising area! But this activity involved litterpicking. And to be fair there were actually five OWLs involved in the session. After a chat with our friendly LGBTQ+ police liaison officer it was time to go into the woods. And soon our volunteers were hard at work.

As well as litterpicking one of the tasks was to replace the black sacks we place in many of the HotSpots. Quite a few guys drop their sexual debris in them when they’ve done the deed. (sadly, some go to the extra effort of throwing the same sort of stuff in the bushes).

Because the weather is getting worse, but significantly because a couple of our ‘solo’ OWL volunteers litterpick regularly, there was much less litter than we would usually collect.

Presumably someone was distracted as they finished and left without their umbrella?!

With practically every area having been covered by the three OWLs it was time for refreshments and a chat with one of our ‘soloists’.

A quick trip followed, to an area that might well become busier if the planned changes to the current cruising area take place.

Then the final bag-count. The equivalent of 15 of our regular-size sacks collected today.

When we add the 39 sacks collected by our ‘soloists’ that gives a total of 53 sacks of litter in the last month.

 Please note that we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. There might have been more OWL volunteers taking part than are in the above pictures.

No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session.

Just three of our regular volunteers for today’s litterpick as several others had commitments they couldn’t avoid. As usual we aimed to collect rubbish from our bags in the hotspots, from in the bushes and from the ground.

We are never short of rubbish thrown on the ground! (why can’t those guys who just chuck their rubbish anywhere use the bins or the rubbish bags? Is this what they do with their rubbish at home?!).

 Two volunteers headed in one direction and one in another.

All returned to base on several occasions to drop of their sacks and head off for more.

The refreshment break is always appreciated!

After that more litter-collecting. The thunderstorms that were forecast didn’t arrive; it was a good time to be in the nude sunbathing area!

Finally back to base at the end of the session and the sacks taken to the road for collection by the Epping Forest rubbish truck.

Another good session. The equivalent of 17 of our regular-size rubbish sacks collected today. Plus an amazing 44 sacks collected in the last month by our three brilliant solo litterpickers who go round regularly between the monthly OWL litterpicks. A grand total of 61 sacks. That’s a lot of rubbish.

 We wonder how things will change – from a cruising and litter point of view – when the Epping Forest Habitat Restoration Programme kick off (soon). For details check the dedicated Habitat Restoration page on our OWL website. Click here.  And check back for updates as we get them.

 Please note that we respect everyone’s right to anonymity and only show pics of those willing to have them posted. There might have been more OWL volunteers taking part than are in the above pictures.

No inferences should be drawn from anyone’s participation in an OWL litterpicking session.