HELPING TO CLEAN UP OUR COAST AND COUNTRYSIDE
My weekend started with attending (online) the Somerset Brilliant Coast Conference which was hosted by Mark Ward of Somerset Wildlife Trust. It was a wonderful 3 hours of speakers who were full of information about our important coastline and some great photography too. At the end of the morning, I was proud to receive an award of 'Coastal Community Champion' for Recognition of the tireless work over the years helping to keep our coast clean.
After a quick snack, I was off to meet a trustee of The Steam Coast Trail - a fairly new cycle route for everyone from the railway bridge at Dragon's Cross to Washford. Being the Eco-School Lead at Old Cleeve First School, I have been looking for a site for each child at the school to plant a tree for The Woodland Trust's 'Queen's Jubilee Green Canopy Project'. We agreed a piece of land to plant 105 saplings and 25 hedging plants which will arrive in the next couple of weeks in time for National Tree Planting Week. As the trees grow with the children, one day the trees will create a canopy over the path which they can explain to their children and grandchildren that they planted the woodland. If agreed with the adjoining landowner, this is a project which will hopefully continue each year to increase the amount of trees along this area. Next, I headed down to the coast at Porlock Weir for a 2 hour beach clean as I've not been there for a while though I know others have been doing their bit to help. I collected just over a sackful of plastic washed up on the tide but a few fishing bait bags sadly left behind by anglers. On Sunday morning, I had to drive to Bridgwater to buy some paint for the house which I'm unable to buy locally so decided I could offset my travel by stopping off at Stolford (East of Hinkley Point) to do another 2 hour beach clean. The above photo shows some of what I found including a large plastic pallet which unfortunately was at the furthest point of my walk after I had nearly filled my second bag of rubbish. I spotted a 3 metre length of plastic tube which I put through the pallet and managed to drag it along the pebbles with one of the sacks on while I carried the other, a cone and a few other bits I found as I headed back to the car. I have quite a few bags of beach waste at home now which I really need to sort through and separate the hard plastics for another project run by Keep Britain Tidy where the plastic will be taken away for recycling which I'll write about when I know more about it!
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AuthorBorn in West Somerset, I have always been proud of where I live and want everyone else to enjoy it too! Archives
September 2022
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