Beach Clean-up Time Again

Volunteers took a staggering 7.5 tonnes of rubbish off our beaches last year, and the annual clean-up for our favourite summer playground is gearing up again for Saturday 10 November 2012.

Clubs, groups and businesses have taken to the spring-clean of about 295km of Tasman Bay coastline. This is the event’s third year, and about half of the 50 individual stretches of beach have already been “booked” by returning groups, encompassing hundreds of volunteers. The event is organised by the Department of Conservation in partnership with the Tasman District Council, Nelson City Council and Nelmac Ltd.

The rubbish collection has obvious benefits for summer beach-goers, but also safeguards marine animals and birds. Plastic bags and bottles washed out to sea can be a killer for whales and seabirds that mistake them for food. A blue whale found dead on Nelson’s north-west coast last year had nearly 4m of rope in its gut.

Groups can reserve a section of beach on the DOC website. They are ranked easy, medium and difficult in terms of ease of access and terrain, so groups with appropriate skills are required for the harder sites.

With low tide at 12.30 pm on 10 November 2012, all groups are encouraged to make their sweeps early. If the weather is bad the clean-up will be held on the Sunday 11 November 2012.