This week we were back out at Harvest Green for—yes—more litter picking and bramble clearance! Sometimes it feels like we ask ourselves the same question every Friday: when does it end?
If you’ve ever tried pulling litter out of a dense patch of brambles, you’ll know the answer might be not anytime soon. You would be surprised how much rubbish ends up trapped in these thorny thickets. Brambles act like a natural net: plastic bottles, crisp packets, cans and all sorts of other waste get blown or tossed in and then stay hidden there for years.
Why are there so many brambles?
Brambles are a natural and useful plant in moderation. They provide berries for birds and mammals, and their dense cover can offer shelter for wildlife. The problem comes when they take over.
In many urban and semi-urban green spaces, brambles form large monocultures—areas where almost nothing else grows. This happens because our cities create unusually fertile conditions. Nutrients from pollution, pet waste, decomposing litter, and runoff enrich the soil, giving fast-growing plants like bramble a huge advantage.
Without active management, these fertile conditions allow brambles to spread quickly and dominate, crowding out the variety of grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs that would normally support a much richer ecosystem.
Clearing some of these bramble patches helps create space for other plants to return, increasing biodiversity and making the area healthier for wildlife overall.
The hidden impact of litter
The other issue we see again and again is litter buried within the brambles. It’s easy to miss from a distance, but once you start clearing you realise just how much is there.
Litter harms wildlife in several ways:
- Animals can become entangled in plastic rings, bags, and packaging.
- Small animals and birds may ingest plastic, mistaking it for food.
- Chemicals and microplastics slowly break down into the soil and water.
- Rubbish can also smother plants and reduce habitat quality.
Removing it isn’t glamorous work, but every bag we collect is one less hazard in the habitat.
Join us on a Friday
We’re out at Harvest Green every Friday from 10am to 2pm, clearing brambles, picking litter, and generally helping the space breathe again.
If you fancy taking a lunch break outdoors, getting a bit of fresh air, and doing something positive for the local environment, come down and say hello. Just look out for the hi-viz!
📍 Meet-up point: Cartland Rd, by the Ten Acres noticeboard.
If you’d like to stay in the loop about upcoming volunteering days, you can also ask to join our volunteer WhatsApp group to keep in touch about events.
The work might never truly end—but with more helping hands, we can make a real difference each week.