There are many different beach cleans happening next weekend in Hastings, St Leonards, Pett Level and Camber. The following, all organised by a team leader, are slightly different from the usual beach clean and all will take place in Rother.
Family-friendly event looking for these small plastic pre-production pellets. Nurdles are lentil-sized plastic pellets which are used to make larger everyday products. These nurdles have been lost during transportation and manufacturing, and as they are only around 5mm in diameter will quite easily be washed or blown into drains, waterways, rivers and eventually find their way into the sea and then onto beaches. They are frequently found in the stomachs of marine animals as they mimic potential food. They’re part of the micro plastic soup found in the sea. How many colours will be found? There’ll be no digging involved, just picking, sweeping and scooping them up from the sand. Keen eyesight will be needed, as well as buckets, sieves, dustpan and brushes to help pick them up off the sand. This is part of a ground-breaking national event.
Meeting at the Central car park, old Lydd Rd, Camber. Free parking after 6pm. From 6:30pm we’ll be walking westwards towards the River Rother. Bring anything to help collect these nurdles.
Wildbluesea beach survey and juggling
Saturday April 14, 3pm to 5pm, Pett Level (Cliff End)
Saturday April 14, 3pm to 5pm, Pett Level (Cliff End)
Ocean Gratitude – clean up and survey with a difference – meet up on the sea wall next to the Smuggler Pub, Pett Level Road, Pett Level TN35 4EH.
The survey will look at throw-away and single use items found on the beach. This is a partnership with communities around the Atlantic where everyone can join up in celebrating our connecting ocean.
The group will have a go at juggling too! Juggling is very meditative and what better place to try it than on the beach listening to the sea? No expertise is required and there will be no pressure to join in, but it’ll be fun and relaxed. All equipment will be provided, but please wear appropriate clothing for the weather and sturdy shoes, and bring gloves if possible.
Marine Conservation Society
Sunday April 15, 3pm to 5pm, Pett Level
Sunday April 15, 3pm to 5pm, Pett Level
This will be a survey and a beach clean. The group will meet up on the sea wall next to the Smuggler Pub, Pett Level Road, Pett Level TN35 4EH. The group will pick up, identify (if possible), record and bag every little piece of litter, rubbish, marine debris that it can find in a 100m stretch. Then it will clean the rest of the beach. Recording the rubbish on the beach is one of the most important actions that can be done to help in order to find the source of the major pollutants. This data also combines with data around the UK and internationally so that trends can be found, and then NGOs can lobby governments to help reduce the worst pollutants.
All equipment will be provided, but please wear appropriate clothing for the weather and sturdy shoes, and bring gloves if possible.
The last Marine Conservation Society beach clean with RSPCA Mallydams Wood on March 4 was a huge success, with 50 volunteers clearing 55kg of rubbish from Pett Level beach. How much will be found this time?
If anyone is walking the beach and sees a tag with writing on, please pick it up and send the information to strandliner@me.com as these are valuable indicators of how transatlantic and English Channel currents work.
Photos: Andy Dinsdale