Seaham Beach Clean May 2015

It would be impossible for me to collect driftwood and not notice the amount of litter on the beach. The best driftwood tends to sit amongst the piles of rubbish and sifting through it to find my ‘treasure’ really makes me want to do something.

IMG_3971The beach I visit most regularly is Seaham. I managed to track down a group of beach cleaners that were brought together by Nicola Beldham, keen to do their bit for marine conservation and making the beach a better place for everyone. Yes, of course I could take some litter home with me every time I visit, but carrying it and disposing of it would be a problem as I’m generally on my own. So teaming up with others seemed to be the best solution.

It was a grey morning and when I arrived at the marina carpark, I was greeted by Nicola and around 20 other helpers. We set off with black bags and litter picker sticks to work some magic. Plastic bottles, rusty tin cans, bits of indistinguishable rubber, wet wipes, fishing line and a ridiculous amount of shoe insoles! I tried my hardest not to look at the driftwood but I must confess the odd piece did slip in my pocket! Our presence on the beach didn’t go unnoticed and it was lovely to see people who were just there for a day out, picking up bits and pieces and popping them in my bag.
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2 hours later and I’d filled 2 bin liners, we gathered back at the car park and the scale of our haul became apparent, 52 black bags and 2 shopping trolleys that the council would be along to collect.
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Clearly it would be better if the rubbish wasn’t there in the first place, but what a difference a group of people and a couple of hours can make.

A quick chat, a photoshoot and goodbyes.

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Then I popped back down to look for ‘treasure’ on a gloriously clean beach ☺