Category Archives: Pix and Picks

Because our rubbish sack in one of the most popular areas was getting filled too quickly for us to keep up with emptying it, some years ago we bought a litter bin that had a larger capacity. We still weren’t able to keep up with demand but that’s a different story.

Having done many years of valuable service and seen a wide range of items deposited in it, the conditions had taken their toll and the bin was collapsing.

A new bin was needed! Although we get provided with rubbish sacks by our good friends the Epping Forest wardens, all other costs are borne by ourselves, the OWLs. So, several of us pitched in and we bought a new bin.

Today was binstallation day! Removal of the old bin (which only required a bit of stamping on to fit into a rubbish sack!) and the tying of the new one to the tree, hopefully so that it stays there,

Only a few minutes and the new bin was installed. Binstallation complete!

As much as OWLs like to cruise the woods as much as anyone else, today’s OWLs didn’t want to miss the opportunity to pick up some of the litter so the ensuing time was spent litterpicking.

Before then meeting back at the car park for a chat and some refreshments.

And the tying of the bags and placing them ready for collection.

We reckon that we collected the equivalent of 9 of our standard size rubbish sacks.

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)

A good day for litterpicking – the weather was perfect. Some of our volunteer OWLs must have been sunbathing as there were just three OWLs for this litterpick.

Into the woods to collect the range of litter we OWLs are used to collecting at our litterpicks. Bottles and cans, food containers, and the usual range of sexual debris – condoms, condom foils, lube sachets, tissues and wipes. Lots of wipes. How ironic that so many were collected on the day that the ban on wipes containing plastic was announced.

First half over it was time to return to base for refreshments, along with a couple of welcome visitors. What a selection! Sausage rolls, Hot Cross Buns, chocolate biscuits, gold chocolate bunnies and hot drinks! The OWLs know how to cater!!!

Then back to the woods for more. And then the final sealing of the bags and putting them at the roadside ready for collection.

The final tally – the equivalent of 17 regular sacks today. And with 14 sacks collected by our Solo OWLs a total of 31 sacks of litter for the last month.

(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)

There were four trusty OWLs involved in today’s litterpick, working in two teams of two. As usual, there had been plenty of action in the woods and plenty of sexual debris to provr it. And there seemed to be more take-away food packaging than usual, especially in the popular hang-about areas.

Despite the ‘Yellow Alert’ weather warning for snow, the weather was not at all bad – a bit chilly but there were a few minutes of sunshine and it stayed dry. One of the effects of wet weather overnight is how much heavier litter sacks are when containing wet tissues – which were around in abundance.

As usual our volunteers worked their ways through the woods collecting anything and everything that can cause offence or which makes the place less ‘natural’ than many would like it to be.

The refreshments were plentiful – a pity there weren’t more volunteers present to enjoy them!

For today’s litterpick a total equivalent to 17 normal sacks were collected which along with 11 collected by our trusty solo litterpickers gives a total of 28 sacks this month.

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)

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)

It was good to be able to welcome two new OWLs to today’s OWL litterpick. They soon adopted the essential skills of litterpicking, showing impressive understanding and a determination to do the job well.

Safety briefing first, then off to work we go. Two teams heading off to deal with different areas of the cruising ground.

Someone had removed our black sacks from the Nude Sunbathing Area and rodents had been chewing at another of our black sacks. Replacements were needed.

There’s always plenty of litter to collect – although thankfully much of it was in our black sacks. Not in this area, though, which has clearly seen plenty of action. Much better once cleaned up.

With so much hard work being done it was only fair to take a break for refreshments. Which, like today, generally involve a friendly chat and some interesting information being shared.

Then off to do more of the same but in different places. Some were interested to discover how much territory this cruising ground covers. It’s extensive.

With several hours of hard work being put in, and with the majority of the area having been covered, time to return to base and place our haul ready for collection. The equivalent of 20 of our regular-size sacks of rubbish today.

And our solo litterpickers have been busy in the last month, out on their own, collecting litter and emptying sacks and bins so that they didn’t overflow. Huge thanks to them for the valuable work they have done. Between them they’ve collected about 48 sacks of litter.

Giving a grand total for this month of 68 sacks of litter. Not surprising for the month of August – but so much could so easily have been taken away rather then relying on the OWLs to remove it.

A note for regular OWL Litterpick attendees. Our October litterpick is, as usual, on the first Tuesday of the month – 4^th October. The November Litterpick will be on 8^th November (NOT the first Tuesday) with our Christmas Special Litterpick on 6^th December.

(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)

Just four OWLs at today’s litterpick but this was a Parliament (parliament = the collective name for a group of owls) that did far more work than other parliaments we know of!

All experienced OWL litterpickers. All knowing what to do and where to go. So we just got on with it.

These sacks are emptied several times per week. We SO wish someone wouldn’t shit in one of them! (how do they do it?!)

The Explosion in a Kleenex Factory has moved!

Careful scanning to find every last piece of litter

Of course, time for  break and some well-earned refreshments.

Then back to more work. Funny the things we find!

Another good haul.

The equivalent of 27 of our regular sacks. Plus a stunning 49 by three solo litterpickers who visit at other times. That’s a total of 76 sacks of litter this month!

(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)