Category Archives: Pix and Picks

How ironic that after days of hot weather it was pouring down with rain as we met for today’s litterpick. But we say that our work parties will go ahead whatever the weather. And that’s just what happened today.

A quick Health and Safety Briefing – don’t stretch so far into the undergrowth that you get injured by anything; ensure that sharps (= syringes) are placed inside bottles or cans so that they can’t cause any injuries. In retrospect we should probably also have mentioned not to go through long grass or other vegetation if wearing shorts and to remember to apply mozzie spray!

Then we were off to deal with all areas of the cruising ground.

We reckon we know most of the places where litter, especially sexual debris, is to be found.

And of course our black sacks generally need emptying. We weren’t quite sure what the relevance of this was…

The weather improved. The bags got heavier. And eventually we returned to base for some welcome refreshments. Another jolly crowd.

Some catching up and some banter and then it was time to put the sacks at the side of the road for collection tomorrow.

Today’s haul: 16 of our standard-sized rubbish sacks. With a further 15 sacks collected by our ‘solo’ litterpickers  that’s a total of 31 sacks this 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.

Another day-after-the-Bank-Holiday litterpick. Not the largest turn out for one of our OWL litterpicks. But nevertheless a good one.

 After catching up with each others’ news at the meeting point our five volunteers set of to cover five different areas of the cruising ground. Looks like someone has been taken for a ride!

And after an hour or so of litterpicking our volunteers started returning with their heavy sacks (of litter!).

Included in our findings was a pair of prescription sun glasses; brown frames. If they are yours email us (owlsnaresbrook@gmail.com) and we’ll find a way of getting them back to you.

We understand that another group has also been litterpicking in this area, Fair play. There’s enough litter for all of us!

Time for our refreshment break and further humour and banter.

Having dealt with the main cruising areas it was time to take the sacks to the road and for some to leave, two to go and investigate a suspicious parcel (turned out to be nothing significant) and one to do some work on areas that had been missed.

We reckon that today we collected the equivalent of 25 of our standard-sized rubbish sacks. With a further 22 sacks collected by our ‘solo’ litterpickers (yes TWENTY TWO! well done guys!), that’s a total of 57 sacks this 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.

A great day to be out in the woods and a great group of OWLs prepared to do the monthly litterpick.

Safety Briefing over and equipment sorted our groups headed off across the cruising ground. Often after a Bank Holiday weekend there’s lots of ‘picnic’ rubbish left around. Today it wasn’t too bad. But there were still some remnants.

We aim to visit all areas used for cruising.

Our OWLs roamed far and wide to ensure that rubbish sacks were emptied and rubbish was removed from the vegetation. Lots of wipes today.

Then back to base with our spoils.

Time for a chat and a refreshment break. And consideration of the most unusual items collected today. A frying pan and a shovel were probably the most difficult items to explain!

Finally, the bags carried to the road for collection tomorrow.

We reckon that today we collected the equivalent of 25 of our standard-sized rubbish sacks. With a further 15 sacks collected by our ‘solo’ litterpickers, that’s a total of 40 sacks this 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.

Good weather and a good turnout of volunteers. Including two new folks. New folk are always welcome!

As usual, the Safety Briefing as a quick reminder that there can be risks and we want to minimise them.

After which our OWLs headed off in several groups to litterpick across all of the cruising ground.

We get to all of the places that many will never discover (although from the litter it is obvious that some have been there before).

If we discover a new ‘hot spot’ we aim to place a conveniently-located rubbish sack there to help with easy disposal of litter.

Meanwhile, all areas of the cruising ground were being covered,

With work continuing until it was time to head back to base with the evidence of our work.

Time for refreshments (including some tasty warm savoury bites!) and a friendly catch-up chat.

With one volunteer having to head off to collect a further sack of rubbish that had been too heavy to carry back before.

It had been another good haul.

Today’s bag-count? The equivalent of 17 of our standard-sized rubbish sacks. With a further 8 sacks collected by our ‘solo’ litterpickers, that makes a total of 25 sacks this 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 four brave souls for today’s litterpick – by chance several of our regular litterpickers, understandably, couldn’t make it.

Safety briefing over our OWLs headed off to their chosen areas of the cruising ground to collect whatever litter they could find.

Heavier sacks today (well, it is around the full moon!). Loads of wet tissues and wipes make an appreciable difference to the weight of the sacks.

We aim to cover the entire area. Some locations are becoming more popular.

We really don’t understand why some of the sacks are ripped down or set alight. FFS! We put them in appropriate places to make it EASIER for guys to get rid of their rubbish!

Not a threat at this time of year, but could start a serious fire, burning down what’s left of the secluded areas, in the summer when it’s drier.

With most areas dealt with it was back to base for some refreshments for three of us.

While one OWL – so in his personal litterpicking zone dealing with areas that have only recently become popular that he didn’t notice the time – didn’t return (with two bulging sacks!) until much later.

It was another good haul.

We reckon that’s the equivalent of 16 of our standard-sized rubbish sacks. With a further 7 sacks collected by our ‘solo’ litterpickers since the January litterpick, that makes a total of 23 sacks this 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.

Our first OWL litterpick of 2026. Four brave souls turned up to brave the -6^oC temperature. And the snow.

But there was rubbish to be collected out there, so off into the woods to collect it they went, despite the snow falling gently!

In these temperatures the rubbish was frozen stiff. One of our volunteers reckoned that a condom he collected was the stiffest he’d seen there for a long time!

Back to base for some welcome refreshments.

Our group noticed that there are a number of Police posters on trees near the Eagle Pond side. Apparently there have been reports of attacks on the ducks which the Police are taking seriously so additional patrols, both uniformed and plain clothes, are operating.  So BE CAREFUL if you are using that area.

Here’s the whole group of Snowy OWLs who braved the elements to get the litterpick done.

Finally, as usual, the sacks were placed at the roadside ready for collection. We reckon that’s the equivalent of 11 of our standard-size sacks.

With a further 6 sacks collected by our ‘solo’ litterpickers, that makes a total of 17 sacks this month.

Good work in challenging conditions!

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.

Nine OWLs ready for the 2025 Festive Litterpick! And the weather was far better than it had been yesterday!

Litterpickers and rubbish sacks distributed, and gloves for those who wanted them, groups and individuals set off to find whatever litter they could in the various parts of the cruising ground. After a bit of ‘pose for the camera’.

There was plenty of litter to be found on the ground and in the black sacks we’ve placed in the ‘busy’ areas. Given the recent weather it was no surprise that tissues and wet wipes were as expected – wet.

After a good session across all of the cruising ground we counted them back.

Our Festive Litterpick and therefore time for festive refreshments! We were spoiled. Warmed napkins, flavoursome mulled wine and a selection of very fine, warmed, mince pies. What’s not to like?!

After which the litter that had been collected – the equivalent of 20 of our regular-size sacks – was taken to the road ready for collection tomorrow.

Adding the 17 that our solo volunteers have collected in the last month gives us a total of 37 sacks. Exactly the same as last month. We’re keeping the forest clean for all to enjoy!

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 nice day to be out in the woods!

Just five of us. So rather than head off in groups as we usually do we all went solo. Meaning that we could cover much of the various areas used for cruising.

Someone has been out and about. Who didn’t believe him when he said he had exactly a foot…?

Maybe that bit of extra help wasn’t needed after all…?

And it seems things are getting a bit classy…

With a number of unusual items having been collected, as well of course as the usual sexual debris, bottles and cans, nearly all areas were covered and it was back to base for drinks and a friendly chat.

Then today’s haul taken to the road, ready for collection tomorrow by our friends the Forest Wardens. We reckon that we collected the equivalent of 21 of our regular size sacks, plus a kitchen cabinet door!

Adding the 16 that our solo volunteers have collected in the last month gives us a total of 37 sacks. We’re keeping the forest clean for all to enjoy!

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 band of loyal volunteers turned up on time and ready to get started on another OWL litterpick.

A nice day for it! Safety briefing over we set off.

Depending on how you define litter it’s interesting what we find!

Three teams of volunteers ranged far and wide across all of the cruising area. Although lots of the undergrowth has been cut back it’s good to see that there are areas that haven’t been and are still being well-used.

Oh dear – not that old “Sorry, not tonight, I’ve got a headache” excuse!!

After lots of hard work by all three teams it was time to bring all of the litter back to base.

Then time for well-earned refreshments and a chat.

Before taking today’s haul to the road for collection by our friendly Epping Forest colleagues.

In the last month our solo litterpickers have been dutifully out and about collecting the equivalent of 42 small sacks (what some stars!) and we reckon today we collected the equivalent of 19 small sacks. That gives a total this month of the equivalent of 61 small bags 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 litterpick.

A litterpick that started to the sounds of chainsaws coming from the woods. The continuation was underway of what is described as ‘Habitat Restoration’ (a programme fully documented elsewhere on our website) but which also has the effect of removing much of the useful cover of some of the paths and the removal of some useful private areas.

Our group of seven trusty volunteers headed out across the woods to collect whatever litter they could. We are used to it all. Bottles and cans of all descriptions. Sexual debris including condom and lube sachets, used condoms, tissues and wipes, the occasional vinyl glove.

After a considerable time collecting what was on the ground, in the bushes and in the rubbish sacks it was time to bring it all back. 

   Time for a catch-up and welcome refreshments. 

Then the tying of the sacks and carrying them to the road for our good friends, the Epping Forest Keepers, to collect the following morning. Today’s haul – the equivalent of 17 original-size rubbish sacks.

In the last month our solo litterpickers have been dutifully out and about collecting the equivalent of 32 original-size sacks. That gives a total this month of 49 bags 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.