BEACH-LOVERS in Dorset will once again be supporting the conservation of the Jurassic Coast this weekend with a litter-picking stroll along the coastline.
People will be combining a beautiful walk with clearing up mounds of rubbish in the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Beachwatch event.
Beaches taking part include Worbarrow Bay, Knoll Beach and Durdle Door in Purbeck, Seatown in West Dorset and Chesil Cove on Portland.
Colin Eadie of The Dive Zone has been involved in the beach cleans for the last 20 years and said: “Plastics are a big problem but because they’re usually named they can be sourced back to their origin and dealt with.
“The biggest problem is the wildlife, it’s a horrible mess at times but this is a global issue.
“It’s great that people will get involved on the day to make a difference.” The Dive Zone has been working with the Marine Conservation Society for a number of years and has raised £20,000 for various different projects. Volunteers will be taking part in a walk to clean up the beach at Chesil Cove, Portland, today and then there will be an underwater clean-up by divers tomorrow. Organisers are urging more people to volunteer their services and and join in the fun as it’s for a worthy cause.
Julie Hatcher, Dorset Wildlife Trust’s marine awareness officer, said: “The Worbarrow Bay beach clean restores this beautiful beach to its natural splendour and allows wildlife and people to enjoy the shoreline without the dangers of unsightly litter.”
During last year’s event the beach clean attracted 70-plus volunteers who collectively removed over 200kg of litter.
The aim for both organisers and volunteers is to rid beaches of litter and also to monitor the type of rubbish collected in order to find out where it’s coming from and stop future dumps.
MCS Beachwatch officer Lauren Davies said: “It’s crucial we do something to tackle rising litter levels, we’d like to see much more involvement around the UK coastline.”
Dorset Countryside is calling on any volunteers who can spare a few hours tomorrow to join in.
Anyone interested in taking part can contact Clare Fischer on 01989 561658 or visit mcsuk.org/beach watch/events/beachwatch
volunteers needed
Listed below are locations where you can join in:
• Seatown, meet at the car park, Saturday 11am
• Chesil Cove, meet at Cove House Inn Sat/Sun 9am
• Worbarrow Bay, meet on beach Sunday 1.30pm
• Knoll Beach, meet at the centre at Knoll beach Sunday 11am
•Durdle Door, meet at top steps to the beach Sunday 2pm
•Hengistbury Head, meet outside the Hiker cafe Sunday 10am
• Friars Cliffe, meet on the beach Sunday 10.30am Find out more at mcsuk.org /beachwatch/events
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