A slow worm was an unexpected visitor on Saturday April 23 at the Rye Community Garden. There were plenty of two legged helpers who were digging up potatoes, planting broad beans, pruning trees and clearing up storm damage, but the limbless lizard Anguis fragilis was rather less active. Indeed he had lost part of his tail and was placed carefully away from the beady eye of the robin, who surveyed operations, clearly hoping for fresh worms to emerge from the freshly dug soil.
The special gathering of volunteers was partly to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday but was also part of the international Earth Day movement, which is now in its 47th year. This year, Earth Day plans to plant 7.8 billion trees to combat climate change and to clean up the air we breathe.
The Community Garden is at the end of Love Lane. Visitors are welcome at any time and you will normally find a trusty volunteer hard at work on Saturdays.
Photos: Seana Lanigan