A record number of volunteers helped staff from Hastings Blue Reef Aquarium collect 35 bags of rubbish in just 90 minutes as part of their latest beach clean event at the weekend.
A total of 46 people, including nine members of Hastings 1st Scouts and lots of young families, joined forces with aquarists from the Rock-a-Nore Road wildlife attraction to help clear the beach of litter.
Volunteers were issued with litter pickers, bin bags and a pair of gloves, provided by Hastings Council, as well as a reporting form to record their finds.
Blue Reef’s Leanna Lawson said: “We would like to thank everyone who helped out, we really appreciate it. One family even made the trip from Tonbridge which was excellent.
“This was definitely the largest volunteer turnout to date and it allowed us to pick up a lot of rubbish in a relatively short time.”
Conservation is a very important issue for the team at Blue Reef who believe education is key to safeguarding the future of marine animals.
Leanna added: “It’s crucial we do not leave litter on our beaches in order to protect wildlife.
“The amount of rubbish collected was shocking – among the more unusual items was a car bumper but there was also a lot of broken glass and a huge number of plastic bottle tops and string.
“We are looking forward to organising the next event and hope we can encourage even more volunteers to join us.”
All rubbish collected was brought back to the aquarium where it was safely disposed of.
- The next beach clean event is due to take place in the next few months. Full details will be posted on Hastings Blue Reef Aquarium’s Facebook page. To be added to the contact list please email [email protected]