A warning in environmentalist Andy Dinsdale’s latest newsletter reads: “As 2019 moves on, so does the time before there’s no return and climate change and many other issues take stronger hold determining our future.” Andy, along with Sandy Spencer, has formed the Strandliners Community Interest Company. Andy explains in his newsletter that this helps combining information and events to participate in citizen science that can help shape the future, hopefully in a positive direction.
He tells us: “By joining beach surveys for marine debris and litter, fingertip searches for nurdles and biobeads among the microplastic, and brand audits of littered fast food packaging, we can help gather data to be used in evidence to stop polluters at source.” It is thanks to all the volunteers who join Andy doing these beach surveys that data can be used to make suggestions as to how the marine debris/litter can be compared locally, nationally and over time, when the surveys are repeated more information can be gleaned.
One question, for instance, Andy talked about, was the finding of 149 plastic caps and lids but only 7 bottles at a beach clean. Why? He also puts a question to the reader: “Has anyone found one of these PERFO mats recently? They have been recorded from Dungeness, Hastings and France.” It would be useful to know where they come from. There are many questions and few answers. It is hoped that the surveys by the various groups across the country might bring about some solutions.
There are some upcoming local beach cleans:
Saturday, March 2: Hastings, East of Pier at 10.30am, Rye Harbour
Saturday March 23: Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. Meet at Rye Harbour Car Park at 10am (hot soup provided too)
4th Wednesday of the month at Rye Harbour Car Park at 10.
For more information contact strandliner@me.com
Image Credits: Andy Dinsdale .