Marine Life & Conservation
Can You Help Create Scotland’s Biggest Beach Cleaning Event?
Leading marine charity The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is urging people who love the coast to organise a beach clean and survey and do their bit in the worldwide fight against marine litter.
MCS will be running its 24th annual Great British Beach Clean-up event in Scotland between the 15th and 18th September and the charity hopes this year’s clean-up in the country will help put the UK in the top ten of the 100 or so participating countries and regions which take part in the International Coastal Clean-up during the same weekend every year.
“Scotland has more of the UK’s coastline than anywhere else,” says Catherine Gemmell, MCS Scotland Conservation Officer. “Many communities rely on the cleanliness of beaches for their coastal economy. Beach litter and the problems it causes to both humans and wildlife is a huge issue that we need everyone’s help with; from schools and communities to councillors and MSPs we hope to see everyone helping look after their beach this September.”
During the 2016 Great British Beach Clean event in Scotland, 1,744 volunteers cleaned 121 beaches, picking up, on average, 459 items of litter per 100km they cleaned. Plastic bottles on Scottish beaches rose by 21.3% compared to 2015
In Scotland, MCS is a founding partner of the ‘Have you got the bottle’ campaign led by the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland (APRS).
“We’re confident that evidence from other countries and a successful trial at Heriot-Watt University shows that a Scotland-wide roll-out of a DRS would lead to reduction in the number of drinks containers that blight our beaches,” says Calum Duncan, MCS Head of Conservation in Scotland. “We were delighted to hear that the Scottish Government has asked Zero Waste Scotland to explore possible designs for a DRS system. That’s why it’s so important that this year we try and clean more beaches to help show everybody throughout Scotland what a huge problem litter, and especially plastic bottle litter, is on Scottish beaches.”
Although the Great British Beach Clean doesn’t take place until September, MCS says it’s vital that new organisers get involved now so volunteers have enough time to sign up to the new clean-ups.
The MCS Great British Beach Clean is part of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Clean-up. Last year volunteers, at beaches all over the world, covered a distance of 14,990 miles and collected weird finds ranging from a piano to drones, selfie sticks to typewriters. In the UK 364 beaches were cleaned.
Running a beach clean has never been simpler with the introduction of a fantastic interactive website with lots of downloadable resources to help people promote their clean-ups as well as support from the Beachwatch team at MCS headquarters both online and on the phone.
“We would love to see 150 beaches cleaned in Scotland this year,” says Catherine Gemmell “Anyone wishing to run a beach clean will get lots of help from MCS. The coast isn’t just for a week’s holiday…it’s for all year round.”
The Great British Beach Clean is part of the year-long Waitrose Beach and River Clean-up and is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Head of Charities for People’s Postcode Lottery, Clara Govier, said: “I’m delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are supporting this project. It’s such an important initiative, and the more beach cleans that are run around the country the better. Having been on clean-ups with MCS, I found them really fulfilling and great fun.”
If you would like to organise a beach clean event in Scotland that will benefit your favourite or nearest beach and help tackle beach litter globally, visit www.mcsuk.org/greatbritishbeachclean or telephone 01989 566017.
Marine Life & Conservation
Double Bubble for Basking Sharks
The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!
Donate to Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants
The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.
The Shark Trust’s citizen science project is to monitor and assess basking sharks through sightings; encouraging data collection, community engagement, and promoting nature accessibility. This initiative aims to enhance health and wellbeing by fostering a deeper connection with British Sharks.
Campaign Aims
- Increase citizen science reporting of Basking Sharks and other shark sightings to help inform shark and ray conservation.
- Provide educational talks about the diverse range of sharks and rays in British waters and accessible identification guides!
- Create engaging and fun information panels on how to ID the amazing sharks and rays we have on our doorstep! These can be used on coastal paths around the Southwest. With activities and information on how you can make a difference for sharks and rays!
- Promote mental wellbeing through increasing time in nature and discovering the wonders beneath the waves!
Donate, and double your impact. Click Here
Marine Life & Conservation
Leading UK-based shark conservation charity, the Shark Trust, is delighted to announce tour operator Diverse Travel as a Corporate Patron
Corporate Patrons provide a valuable boost to the work of The Shark Trust. The Trust team works globally to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, engaging with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses and supporters to further shark conservation.
Specialist tour operator Diverse Travel has operated since 2014 and is committed to offering its guests high quality, sustainable scuba diving holidays worldwide. Working together with the Shark Trust will enable both organisations to widen engagement and encourage divers and snorkellers to actively get involved in shark conservation.
“Sharks are truly at the heart of every diver and at Diverse Travel, we absolutely share that passion. There is nothing like seeing a shark in the wild – it’s a moment that stays with you forever!” says Holly Bredin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Diverse Travel.
“We’re delighted to celebrate our 10th year of business by becoming a Corporate Patron of the Shark Trust. This is an exciting partnership for Diverse and our guests. We will be donating on behalf of every person who books a holiday with us to contribute towards their vital shark conservation initiatives around the world. We will also be working together with the Trust to inspire divers, snorkellers and other travellers to take an active role – at home and abroad – in citizen science projects and other activities.”
Paul Cox, CEO of The Shark Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting partnership and we’re thrilled to be working with Diverse Travel to enable more divers and travellers to get involved with sharks and shark conservation. Sharks face considerable conservation challenges but, through collaboration and collective action, we can secure a brighter future for sharks and their ocean home. This new partnership takes us one more valuable step towards that goal.”
For more information about the Shark Trust visit their website here.
For more about Diverse Travel click here.
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