Beachwatch Big Weekend at Cramond Saturday 19th September
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) will be holding a Beachwatch Big Weekend event at Cramond on Saturday 19th September from 10am-12 noon and all are welcome. Meet at the start of the Cramond Island causeway at 10am. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and footwear. For further information please contact the MCS Scottish office on 0131 226 2391 or e-mail anne.saunders@mcsuk.org.
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 Big Weekend is easy, and hundreds of volunteers are set to take part at beaches all round the country over the weekend of 19-20th September. Children, families and dogs are welcome and what nicer way to spend the morning than at the beach?
The last MCS beach clean at Cramond, held in June, was a tremendous success, when 21 enthusiastic volunteers collected a terrific 50kg of rubbish.
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 be used to produce the Beachwatch 2009 Report, to help MCS lobby government and industry, and turn the tide on litter.
After this weekend, the next event at Cramond beach will take place in January. If you do not live near Cramond, there are beaches all round Scotland taking part in the Beachwatch Big Weekend. You can find your nearest beach and next event by
Register online at: www.adoptabeach.org.uk
(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, Adopt-a-Beach, Basking Shark and Turtle Watch and Seasearch. MCS is lobbying for a UK Marine Bill to deliver proper management of UK seas and proper protection for marine wildlife within a network of Marine Conservation Zones. Since the Scottish Government is responsible for most matters within 12 nautical miles (including marine conservation, fisheries, aquaculture and renewable energy) and some matters out to 200nm (including fisheries and aspects of renewable energy), MCS (along with other members of the Scottish Environment LINK Marine Task Force) is also campaigning for a Scottish Marine Bill to dovetail with the UK Bill.
(2) Adopt-a-Beach and Beachwatch 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) or quarterly (Adopt-a-Beach) 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.adoptabeach.org.uk for more information and a list of Scottish adopted beaches.
