The Kintyre Forum

There will be a "Beachwatch" survey on behalf of the Marine Conservation Society of as many of the local beaches as we can manage on the 3rd weekend of September (17th/18th).
This survey involves cleaning sections of the beaches and catalogueing the litter which is collected. The results are used by the Marine Conservation Society for research and to drive future policy.
One of our aims, in addition to raising public awareness of the need to care for our environment, is to get our young people involved.
We will therefore need a number of responsible adults to supervise and assist young volunteers during this weekend. Training and equipment will be provided and the young volunteers will have had some education and background study opportunities within their school curriculum.
We already have a number of volunteers but if we had more, we could involve more young people and clean/survey more of the beaches.
If there is anyone who would be willing to devote a few hours during the weekend of 17/18 September to this please telephone either Mary Turner on 553192 or Charles Murphy on 552514.
Please feel free to ask any questions or make any comment through this thread.

Had two phone calls last night. One was from a couple expressing unqualified support and that they would come along and help.
The other was from a man who said he was paying far too much council tax anyway and didn't expect to have to clean the beaches and what were the council doing about it.
Well the council have a newly appointed Beaches and Marine Litter Project Officer -Karen Judd (karen.judd@argyll-bute.gov.uk). Her post is partly funded by GRAB. She will be visiting the schools and will provide educational support and materials and will explain aspects of marine litter such as the effect on birds and sea mammals of swallowing litter such as plastic. She will also liaise with the council to provide other support which is available such as bags and picking up and disposing of the litter. If any body would like to discuss the council's role Karen would be pleased to talk to them.

I should have posted this earlier following an e-mail from Mary Turner - sorry it is so late but if you are not doing anything tomorrow this sounds good...

A Beach Clean and Litter Survey of Campbeltown beaches followed by a Bar B Que is planned for Sunday 18th (tomorrow). The Beach Clean and Litter Survey is under the auspices of the Marine Conservation Society and there will be over 400 beaches being cleaned up and down the country by volunteers this weekend. The results of the survey provide a valuable resource for the work of the Marine Conservation Society.
Volunteers will assemble in the Kildalloig Farm Polytunnel at 2pm and should come equipped for any weather and with footwear suitable for rocky beaches. They will then arrange themselves into suitable teams and be given gloves and bags etc. Each team will be allocated a stretch of beach to clean and will clean as much as they can manage until 4.30. Then everyone will return to the polytunnel where there will be a Bar B Que - food and soft drinks provided, bring your own beer etc. If you have any queries or to let us know how many will be in your party for the catering please phone 553192.