HGMC Pond Dipping Blog 25/06/26 

First and foremost, I’d like to say a huge thank you to, Mike for looking after us and facilitating the evening. Mike has run a few sessions for us now and always makes sure everyone feels comfortable and is able to enjoy the activity.  

Once everybody had parked up, we introduced the new attendees and briefly laid out the plan for the evening before handing over to Mike. Although the heat wave had passed it was still a very warm evening with the sun glaring. First order was making sure everybody had some water. Then we made our way to the pond. Waiting for us were some shallow tubs, nets and cards to show examples of what we may find under the surface.  

 What followed was a really informative and exciting hour or so of childlike wonder. Sometimes these evenings come together in a certain way that seems to bring out everybody’s inner child. We all found plenty of tadpoles and larvae of various insects, learning about their life cycles and some of their entomology. Among the more exciting finds were Dragonfly larvae, Toadlets, Newts and Efts. Mike was able to move around the group and provide more information on everybody’s finds. Occasionally drawing the entire groups attention to something. After an hour or so we all carefully returned our finds to the pond and washed our hands before settling in for a chat.  

One of the other advantages of this evening’s location was being able to sit out in the paddock by the old barn. We’ve been fortunate enough to use this space before, but the sweeping views of the valley are always incredible. The sun was lower in the sky and the temperature had come down to a comfortable level. We set out some chairs and had a catch up about how everybody has been feeling of late. Conversation and connection is the primary reason we hold these events. To give men a chance to try something new, to meet new people and to get some things off your chest. I’d like to thank Mike and the Box Moor Trust, for looking after us so well. If you’re reading this and thinking about joining us at a future HGMC event, we’d very pleased to see you.