The Big Beachwatch Weekend
Fuelled by an anti-litter passion and equipped with rubber gloves, bin bags and litter pickers, volunteers from Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary and Friends of Seaton Valley will once again be descending on SeatonBeachin South East Cornwall as part of this year’s Marine Conservation Society’s Big Beachwatch Weekend. Their seashore mission: To rid Seaton Beach of unsightly rubbish and make it a safer place for people and wildlife alike.
The group of local volunteers will be cleaning Seaton Beach on Saturday 15th September from 10am to 12noon. All volunteers will be making a practical difference to their local beach by removing a variety of rubbish. The rubbish collected is surveyed and recorded to help the Marine Conservation Society identify the main sources of litter on our beaches.
Wild Futures is committed to protecting habitats worldwide, this includes marine habitat in the UK. Some of our best-loved marine wildlife is under threat from the waste and litter in our seas, with hundreds of species accidentally eating or becoming entangled in litter. Litter on our beaches is also hazardous to people, so we all have a part to play in turning the tide on litter.
Matt Nott, Manager of the Treetop Café at the Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary near Looe said: “By far the most common litter we find is plastics. Of all the hazardous materials littering our seas today, plastic poses the greatest threat – it causes death and injury to hundreds of thousands of seabirds and marine species every year through ingestion (swallowing) and entanglement. Items of particular danger to marine wildlife include plastic bags, drink can yokes and fishing nets. By giving an hour of your time you can directly help our Cornish wildlife.”
Extra volunteers are always welcome and more helping hands means more litter picked, which is good news for beach users and wildlife. Help make a difference to wildlife and get involved by joining the SeatonBeachclean on Saturday 15th September. Contact Matt Nott on 01503 262532 for details.