The Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape is inviting registered volunteers to join us to help clean Suffolk and Essex iconic beaches!
Every September thousands of people take to the beach all over the UK as part of the Great British Beach Clean, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS)’s annual week-long citizen science event, when hundreds of beach cleans take place.
Not only does litter spoil the scenery, it is very dangerous for people and wildlife. Animals such as whales, turtles, fish, and seabirds frequently become entangled in marine litter, and many sadly die as a result.
This year’s Great British Beach Clean will take place between Friday 19th – Sunday 28th September and National Landscape team will be organising a beach clean at Bawdsey for registered volunteers and the public on Friday 19th September from 10:30am until 12.30.
Volunteers will be provided with all the necessary equipment, apart from gloves, so please bring your own.
To register as an National Landscape Beachwatch volunteer fill in the form at https://coastandheaths-nl.org.uk/volunteering/volunteer-registration.
If you are unable to make the 19th September or would rather join a beach clean at a different location, visit Find a beach clean | What you can do | Marine Conservation Society to see other cleans taking place in the area.
Alternatively, you can organise your own event! This can be done online at the MCS website or by phone on 01989 566017.
The National Landscape team can offer advice on possible locations, loan litter picking equipment and provide other support to make your event a success.
For more information, please contact Neil Lister, Projects Officer, 01394 445218 or [email protected].
On every clean people work alone or in pairs and record all the items of rubbish they find in a 100-metre stretch of beach. The information is then sent to MCS who analyse the data, target the worst marine pollution offenders and lobby for changes in legislation, such as the introduction of the plastic bag levy in England in 2015.
Last year the most found items of litter on beaches in Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths were:
- Plastic / Polystyrene Pieces
- Packets (crisp/sweet/ lolly inc sticks/ sandwich)
- Plastic caps / lids
- Cigarette stubs
- Other paper/cardboard items
- Fishing line – angling
- Other plastic/polystyrene items
- Other wooden items
