Big Spring Beach Clean 2017
We wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who turned up to help out at our Surfers Against Sewage Big Spring Beach Cleans. We had our biggest turn out yet at Amroth, with over 100 volunteers coming along to pick up litter and take part in our easter egg hunt.
- SAS rep Jaz working hard!
- Painted pebbles for our environmentally friendly beach Easter egg hunt!
- Amroth beach clean volunteers
A tale of two beaches
Freshwater West
We targeted two different beaches and uncovered very different types of rubbish at each location. It was one of the first warm days of the season at Freshwater West and the beach was packed with locals and holiday makers who rolled up their sleeves to get stuck in. Fuelled by snacks that were generously donated by Jonathan at Cafe Mor (www.cafemor.co.uk) we collected a whopping 53 bags of rubbish. Among the haul we found a massive amount of fishing net and rope, over 250 plastic bottles, hundreds of cotton bud sticks, 3 lobster pots, a welly and, we’re sad to report, six needles that were just lying in the seaweed on the tideline. There were also lots of shotgun cartridges and tiny balloon pieces that had washed up from balloon releases and, as always, just so much micro plastic.Visitors to the beach were really shocked at how much we collected: “Is that all from today?” was the quote of the day! A special thanks to Terry and Jon from the Welsh Marine Wildlife Rescue for bringing their quad bike to haul all the nets and rubbish off the beach.
- Freshwater West
- Terry and Jon from the Welsh Marine Wildlife rescue volunteered their time and new quad bike
- Cafe Mor’s delicious food
- Young beach clean volunteers
- Over 250 plastic bottles
Amroth
Our Amroth clean had a real community feel and was packed with locals as well as people from the surrounding caravan parks. People always comment on how clean Amroth is, but once you look a little more closely, you’ll find the tiniest pieces of rope, plastic, metal, glass and pottery just everywhere. We collected 45 black bags of general rubbish, 120 plastic bottles, loads of fishing net, a tractor tyre, four car tyres, a scaffolding pole and lots of bottle tops amongst other things.
- Eggs galore!
- Painted pebbles for our environmentally friendly beach Easter egg hunt!
- Hidden pebble ‘Easter eggs’
- Rope and net removed from the beach
- Eager volunteers!
Over to Jaz
As the youngest ever Surfers Against Sewage beach clean rep, iSea’s Jaz really is leading by example when it comes to keeping our coast clean.“I hate swimming and surfing in rubbish and the sea is just full of it. It also really upsets me to see animals stranded in litter or full of plastic – that’s why I decided to get involved with the beach cleans. It’s actually become a really fun hobby as we look on it as a treasure hunt rather than picking up litter. We’ve found some really cool things like toy soldiers (we are building a beach army!), fossilised pliers, lots of tiny plastic toys and a cool rubber turtle. You do find some gross stuff too – someone put a dead fish in one of the bin bags which you’re not supposed to do – and I also found a big piece of rubber with black tar all over it. It was horrible to pick up – but at least it’s not in the sea anymore!
I think everyone who uses the beach should do what they can. You don’t have to organise a big beach clean, like we did. You can just take a bag with you every time you go for a walk, and fill it up as you go. If everyone did this it would make a massive difference.”
- ‘Treasure’ from the beach another toy soldier for our beach army collection!
- Little rubber turtle ‘treasure!’
- Some of our ‘beach treasure’
- Cool rusty spade
Feel-good factor
One of the best things about the beach cleans, apart from cleaning up our coast, is how they bring people together and make you feel good. Both events were really social and the beach looked a lot better after we left. They’re pretty addictive too – everyone was trying to find the best treasure or fill the most bags! And beach cleans don’t have to be all about rubbish. We made our Amroth one fun by hiding painted pebbles for people to find in exchange for prizes, and had a special treasure chest to fill with the most interesting finds.We were really well-supported by local businesses, so a big thank you to everyone below for helping us keep our beaches clean.
Temple barFor more information on how to get involved with a beach clean or to organise your own, go to www.sas.org.uk.
To find out more about iSea Surfwear and see the latest range go to www.iseasurfwear.co.uk
