Five years of making a difference at Northam Burrows
We were back at Northam Burrows in Westward Ho! for our fifth year of beach cleaning with the University of Bristol, and this year was bigger than ever!
Over 220 first-year students joined us for what has become a brilliant annual tradition, making it one of the largest beach cleans in the country. For many of the students, it was a chance to get to know each other, spend some time outside of the lecture hall and, most importantly, do something positive for the environment together.
Working in 8 teams, half towards Northam Burrows and half towards Westward Ho!, the students collected an incredible 44.19kg of lightweight plastics from the beach. While much of what we found was small and lightweight, it all adds up. Pieces of plastic, packaging and other litter can easily be carried out to sea, where they can become a danger to wildlife and contribute to the growing problem of plastic pollution in our oceans.
This year, we also teamed up once again with the Shark Trust to record any shark, skate and ray egg cases that we found during the clean. These fascinating little cases, sometimes known as mermaid’s purses, can tell us a lot about the species living around our coastline. Recording them helps build a better picture of where these animals are breeding and being found.
It wasn’t just egg cases that we were recording. Every piece of litter collected was logged using Marine Conservation Society data sheets, recording what we found and how much of it there was. This information forms part of a much bigger picture, helping scientists and conservation organisations understand the litter found on our beaches and identify where change is needed.
That’s what makes a beach clean about so much more than picking up rubbish. Every volunteer is contributing to citizen science, collecting valuable information that can help researchers understand the problems facing our coastline and support positive change.
It was brilliant to see over 220 first-year students getting stuck in, working together and making a difference. Five years on, our Northam Burrows clean with Bristol University is still going strong, and we can’t wait to see what next year brings!
