January MCS Volunteer Clean Up at Cramond Beach
Volunteer Clean Up at Cramond Beach
Today, The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) releases the results of their latest beach clean at Cramond. 46 volunteers braved the wintry weather to help pick up 59kg of litter from the beach on Saturday 17th January. The next beach clean at Cramond will be at 10am, Saturday 18th April. Contact 0131 226 2391 or anne.saunders@mcsuk.org for further information.
As with most beach cleans carried out at Cramond, the majority of items (55%) were plastic, followed by 19% cloth pieces/clothing items, and 12% sanitary items. All the information collected during the beach clean will be used by MCS to lobby industry and government to help turn the tide on litter.
Anne Saunders, MCS Scottish Projects Officer, comments "We all have a duty to take care of our environment, including the marine environment. This includes not flushing sanitary items down the toilet, and taking your litter home with you after you have been at the beach. Even litter dropped in a city centre street can be washed into storm drains and eventually may end up on our beaches, where it can pose a very real threat to marine wildlife through entanglement or ingestion."
Anne Saunders (MCS Scottish Projects Officer)
E-mail: anne.saunders@mcsuk.org
Register online at: www.adoptabeach.org.uk
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, Adopt-a-Beach, Seasearch and Basking Shark Watch.
MCS in Scotland
The MCS Scottish Projects Officer post, funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and The Scottish Government, started in May 2007 to assist the ongoing MCS campaign for Seas fit for Scotland. The post involves development of exciting educational, interpretative and web-based resources, and delivers talks and events focused on southwest Scotland to raise awareness of marine conservation; and promotes community involvement in MCS Basking Shark & Turtle Watch, MCS Jellyfish surveys and the MCS Adopt-a-Beach project throughout Scotland. The MCS Scottish Conservation Manager co-ordinates MCS activities in Scotland, including marine conservation policy and Seasearch. MCS in Scotland is also chairing a joint campaign for a Scottish Marine Bill with the environment at its heart, see www.savescottishseas.org for details.
MCS Adopt-a-Beach
The Marine Conservation Society's Adopt-a-Beach project was established in 1994 to encourage individuals and groups to look after their local beach on a more regular basis by carrying out seasonal litter surveys and beach clean-ups, to identify local sources of litter and raise awareness of the problems caused by litter. Further information can be found on the Adopt-a-Beach website: www.adoptabeach.org.uk
