Put a spring in your step by spending the morning at the beach! The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) will be holding a beach clean at Cramond on Saturday 23rd March from 10am-12noon, and all are welcome. Meet at the start of the Cramond Island causeway at 10am. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and sturdy footwear. For further information contact Anne Saunders on 0131 226 2391 or [email protected]
Volunteers and local residents will pick up and record litter from a 100m stretch of Cramond beach, and MCS are looking for more members of the public to get involved. Beach litter is more then just unsightly: it poses a major threat to wildlife and the environment. Taking part in the MCS Beachwatch project is easy, and hundreds of volunteers are already involved all round the country. Children, families and dogs are welcome.
The litter survey along the 100m stretch usually takes 1 hour, with up to another hour to pick up litter on the remainder of the beach. MCS provides protective gloves and litter-pickers for those taking part. Refreshments will be provided at the end. Children under 16 are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. The information collected from this survey will add to the ongoing monitoring of marine litter around our coasts, to help MCS turn the tide on litter.
The last Beachwatch event at Cramond, held in January, was a great success with 30 volunteers picking up a fantastic 76.5g of litter in the snow!
After the April beach clean, the next Beachwatch event at Cramond will take place on 8th June. If you do not live near Cramond there are many adopted beaches around Edinburgh, East Lothian and Fife. You can find your nearest adopted beach and next event at www.mcsuk.org
Anne Saunders (MCS Scottish Projects Officer)
Telephone: 0131 226 2391
E-mail: [email protected]
Register online at: www.mcsuk.org
(1) The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife. MCS campaigns for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, protection of marine life and their habitats, and the sensitive use of our marine resources. Through education, community involvement and collaboration, MCS raises awareness of the many threats that face our seas and promotes individual, industry and government action to protect the marine environment. MCS provides information and guidance on many aspects of marine conservation and produces the annual Good Beach Guide www.goodbeachguide.co.uk, the Good Fish Guide and www.fishonline.org on sustainable seafood, as well as promoting public participation in volunteer projects and surveys such as Beachwatch, Beachwatch Big Weekend, Basking Shark and Turtle Watch and Seasearch.
(2) Beachwatch and Beachwatch Big Weekend are coastal environmental initiatives organised by MCS, involving local individuals, groups and communities in caring for their coastal environment. Anyone in the UK can adopt their favourite stretch of coast and take part in annual (Beachwatch Big Weekend) or quarterly (Beachwatch) beach cleans and surveys to monitor litter throughout the year and help us campaign for cleaner seas. MCS in Scotland collaborates with all the Firth Partnerships to help inspire as many groups as possible to take part and help turn the tide on litter. See www.mcsuk.org for more information and a list of Scottish adopted beaches.