Surbitonians braved syringes and old socks during a clean-up of Claremont Gardens.
A before-and-after view. Pic: Adrienne Stocks.
The two-day effort, organised by Surbiton Wildlife Group, saw about 120 volunteers give up their Friday or Saturday to clear brush, uproot shrubbery and litter-pick.
Wildlife group secretary Adrienne Stocks said: "We weren't sure who would turn up.
"Waitrose supplied four staff members who worked so hard all day. Glenmore House provided three people.
"Waitrose gave us £200 for refreshments, which we mainly spent on bin liners. We had donations of fruit from Abel and Cole.
"We have so many people to thank - the list is endless."
Kingston Council contractors Quadron also pitched in, she added.
One of the toughest jobs was clearing out the rockery in relentless heat, Mrs Stocks said.
She said: "That was really labour intensive. Tidying the pond was quite physical. It's all been mulched.
"On Saturday morning there was some rubbish that people had left overnight, but you can't change the way people think."
- To find out more about Surbiton Wildlife Group, visit surbitonwildlife.co.uk or follow @Surb_WL on Twitter.
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