tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81077215100539045092024-03-05T10:37:39.499-08:00MCS Sea ChampionsSea Champions Teamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15818406791849325925noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-1343476199457509512021-06-02T03:30:00.001-07:002021-06-02T03:30:00.197-07:00The Long Wiggle: A Sea Champion's journey around the British coast<h2 style="text-align: left;">Six weeks ago Sea Champion Ben set off from Glasgow, taking his first steps in a 7000 mile journey to explore the British coastline on foot.<br /><br /></h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Raising money for the <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/" target="_blank">Marine Conservation Society</a> and the <a href="https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/" target="_blank">John Muir Trust</a> as he goes, Ben has set out to give back by undertaking citizen science and voluntary work on his "long wiggle" round. </h3><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">By the time I reach
Fort William I will have covered more than six hundred miles (about 1000km) on
foot and by kayak. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">The ratio of the
two seems to be about 3:1 so far. For every mile I have paddled, I have walked
about three.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">Over the course of
six weeks I feel I've been doing fairly well overall.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">What with averaging
about a hundred miles each week, and around fifteen miles each day, carrying
this rucksack that doesn't seem to get any lighter, whilst picking up litter
and carrying it about until I come across a bin that's usually already full, or
in some cases, just dragging it way above the high tide line into a wind-proof
pile; it has all left me wanting some proper rest.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheVpr5kVujHyN53mIIjaw2PjQSoTW0o74UYNvymKw4j2O42EjEgPJhlZ-Isp-0nsnTLxeX5uma_zmoDwK3YYxbzkIitY4IR8EoYNGoezSfDV_FhhcGwi0TaLlnUki50hyphenhyphen_4DyCY1P97A/s750/01062021_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="750" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheVpr5kVujHyN53mIIjaw2PjQSoTW0o74UYNvymKw4j2O42EjEgPJhlZ-Isp-0nsnTLxeX5uma_zmoDwK3YYxbzkIitY4IR8EoYNGoezSfDV_FhhcGwi0TaLlnUki50hyphenhyphen_4DyCY1P97A/w640-h480/01062021_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">Luckily, however,
Oban seems to be overflowing with lovely people who were willing to look after
me, put up with me, spend time with me, and feed me well, despite my ramblings
and serious lack of hygiene.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">Unluckily, however,
I simultaneously had caught a cold of some sort from somewhere.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">So I've spent most
of the last few days in and around Oban in a state of weary bleary confusion.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">Sometimes I wake up
and wonder where on earth I am. Thankfully though, I'm usually inside the tent,
and it doesn't take me long to figure it out.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">The kayak, for
which I have no name for yet, it is simply, the kayak, has been the star of the
journey so far.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">It has enabled me
to learn so much more about the coast then I would have done through walking.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I've also learned
more about the interplay between wind and water, as well as wind, water and
rock.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">The differences in
wave types, directions, velocities, frequencies, depths, pitches, angles,
colours and overall levels of scariness, are beyond calculation.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8qkgrlVj9wEQUOVTrI1GQclymLS4Gct0Y3aQDEkwcPCO5eJpyvfHiqu7V9VQKHIReIL_jhV2as5EfFOHbpQcCo-7WcnQdy7oSJMJbgM3Dv1qM22gHJ3M7oGz-MkCz4BBj7kBSajkAWs/s750/01062021_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="750" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8qkgrlVj9wEQUOVTrI1GQclymLS4Gct0Y3aQDEkwcPCO5eJpyvfHiqu7V9VQKHIReIL_jhV2as5EfFOHbpQcCo-7WcnQdy7oSJMJbgM3Dv1qM22gHJ3M7oGz-MkCz4BBj7kBSajkAWs/w640-h480/01062021_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">There was a day
about a week ago where I was paddling from the bottom of the Ardfern peninsula
towards Loch Melfort, along the Sound of Jura.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">The tide was
incoming, the wind was a westerly (so mainly on my left) and the waves had many
miles of gathering space to develop into undulations of several feet or so
between crest and trough. But the wind wasn't too strong so as to create white
caps and sharp edges that could break over me or topple me underwards. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">They tended to roll
excitedly, under and around me.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">Then they would
bounce off the hard steep rocks of the peninsula, and start coming at me from all
directions.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">The result of
paddling in this for about four hours, became apparent when I had packed up and
started walking.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">I was following the
main road at this point, and quickly realised that I was swaying quite
uncontrollably, and visibly, whilst trying to walk in a straight line. This led
me to having huge fits of laughter, which made me sway a lot more, all while I
was attempting to avoid the incoming traffic.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0cm;">It was the most fun
I've had in a while.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Ben's full blog is available on his <a href="https://www.ukcoastjourney.com/" target="_blank">website</a> where you can also donate to his journey or the charities he has chosen to support.</h4>Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-86962965263488535762021-02-28T23:00:00.007-08:002021-03-01T05:41:59.273-08:00A mission to protect seagrass beds in southern England<h3 style="text-align: left;"> <b style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On World Seagrass Day 2021, our Sea Champion Clare from Plymouth
shares what inspires her about seagrass and why she is studying sea beds in
southern England to help us understand more about this marvellous marine
habitat.</span></b></h3><div><b style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtT237jH7_cMi3mWwqHQ2pc3eO3iY2ommZEdkG7om7MogdrH3C8eyS7RFRH-jEdkasDCIDFBy8Y4vs-chxDGWlfMjHjIECeDSpYzeOSEEiYmWdZ1yoli-K0JM6aYUW8rFg2MH2m9xsJ4/s1000/WSD1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1000" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtT237jH7_cMi3mWwqHQ2pc3eO3iY2ommZEdkG7om7MogdrH3C8eyS7RFRH-jEdkasDCIDFBy8Y4vs-chxDGWlfMjHjIECeDSpYzeOSEEiYmWdZ1yoli-K0JM6aYUW8rFg2MH2m9xsJ4/w640-h424/WSD1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="line-height: 115%;">My love affair with seagrass began in 2011 when I was studying a
Foundation Degree in Marine Science in Falmouth, a small town in South
Cornwall. As a diver since 2004, I am fascinated with understanding what is in
our seas. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">I started volunteering with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust who helped
me get involved with the Seasearch diving project, a partnership between MCS
and other organisations. This national volunteer program collects species and
habitat information from all around the UK. During these dives, seeing seagrass
for the first time, I realised its huge importance to human health and
wellbeing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">Seagrasses are marine flowering plants, located in shallow,
sheltered coastal areas down to a depth of 10 - 15 metres. Extensive meadows are
formed on all continents with the exception of Antarctica, but there has been a
global decrease of seagrass due to threats. These include anchoring and mooring
of boats, decreasing light and water clarity and water temperature increases
due to climate change.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0ZcG_da47MPZLv7EUHlT7hOVuyKirqbJuSWp99yyANegOtoF0ius6OZczD7nhURToUI-lgewaP3CPUgicQdMvAKfBw-Y8J384-1A_eilTJiH_se6J4VVI_cx0cV-OpKWymtV1m1ip38/s1500/Charlotte+Bolton+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0ZcG_da47MPZLv7EUHlT7hOVuyKirqbJuSWp99yyANegOtoF0ius6OZczD7nhURToUI-lgewaP3CPUgicQdMvAKfBw-Y8J384-1A_eilTJiH_se6J4VVI_cx0cV-OpKWymtV1m1ip38/w640-h480/Charlotte+Bolton+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br />Seagrasses provide significant functions including carbon dioxide
(CO</span><sub style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">2</sub><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">) capture and storage, stabilising sediment underwater, and they
are a spawning habitat and nursery ground for important commercial fish species.
Seagrass beds in the UK are a perfect environment for a wide variety of
protected species, including the short-snouted seahorse and the spiny/long
snouted seahorse.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">Inspired by seagrass, in 2012 I took on a project looking at the
seagrass found in Fowey Harbour. A Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) survey and a
Scuba Diving survey discovered that the bed seemed to be thriving, healthy and
home to many different marine creatures. </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">My
project helped local community members to understand the importance of their
seagrass habitats and why we should be looking after them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg942XCG_XRl8CiBrIBPdxruCgtJJ0Fq4RBUz7h2vx3GddFXLYIsRX6lfxRyhYDYIVg04PetRC3zyHn5CE0P9S4Jw5VHW556_XSE3BF5iYtP3w-uGjv8W4QD-eVqwFC-GjYUx3754kFwqc/s2048/ClareDiving3.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg942XCG_XRl8CiBrIBPdxruCgtJJ0Fq4RBUz7h2vx3GddFXLYIsRX6lfxRyhYDYIVg04PetRC3zyHn5CE0P9S4Jw5VHW556_XSE3BF5iYtP3w-uGjv8W4QD-eVqwFC-GjYUx3754kFwqc/w640-h427/ClareDiving3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">To celebrate World Seagrass Day, I am sharing with you my exciting
Masters research project at the University of Plymouth. My project will focus
on one species of seagrass found in the UK, common eelgrass (</span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Zostera marina</i><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">).
It aims to provide key information about the extent of three seagrass beds (two
in Cornwall and one in the Isle of Wight). I’ll examine which species can be
found at each location and will also research the laws protecting seagrass.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">Coastal seas near to seagrass beds are often heavily used for
swimming, kayaking, and boating. The management and restoration of damaged
seagrass is essential to lessen the effect of climate change and provide a suitable
habitat for marine species. I will be collaborating with the Marine
Conservation Society, the Ocean Conservation Trust and Natural England to look
at water uses in each of the chosen areas and to see if, together we can find
ways to manage these uses so we can enjoy the sea but also allow our seagrass
to grow and flourish!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">I hope to get out <i>on </i>the water (doing ROV surveys), <i>under </i>the
water (scuba diving) and <i>near </i>the water (checking out how people are using
coastal seas) during late spring and summer 2021. So, I will be back with an
update soon.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; background: white; line-height: 115%;">Led by Natural England in partnership with Marine Conservation Society,
Ocean Conservation Trust, Plymouth City Council/Tamar Estuaries Consultative
Forum and Royal Yachting Association</span> t</i><i><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="line-height: 115%;">he LIFE
ReMEDIES Project which has been made possible with the contribution of the LIFE
financial instrument of the European Union</span></i></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGibUoAVB1O-C-kxC7EcZ0rx3chZAT3RjI9CadRP2-TtkQsJ4a9w22BZmFwKn-0QXBVd-jkIf_k2ANVTXAidqN4zoG4cUEXbbLSWjsPUDhgfroMu1QVIbM7WoPZafc1qQr57xSV5HAkk/s591/Logo.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="58" data-original-width="591" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGibUoAVB1O-C-kxC7EcZ0rx3chZAT3RjI9CadRP2-TtkQsJ4a9w22BZmFwKn-0QXBVd-jkIf_k2ANVTXAidqN4zoG4cUEXbbLSWjsPUDhgfroMu1QVIbM7WoPZafc1qQr57xSV5HAkk/s16000/Logo.png" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /><br /></o:p></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpetH4OxtT4FnDX1QH3jVAr_fP_hTJCJma6PGiBqMddoZpgh6r6mWCniL7tuhUozzf24HRSuBAU8JDNs2fxEX1Hrr2onQeNFhjSqLkkjbaVUsIaquJE9hqx0LOne8DNcwunENw8sk29U/s4821/ReMEDIES_logo_string.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="4821" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpetH4OxtT4FnDX1QH3jVAr_fP_hTJCJma6PGiBqMddoZpgh6r6mWCniL7tuhUozzf24HRSuBAU8JDNs2fxEX1Hrr2onQeNFhjSqLkkjbaVUsIaquJE9hqx0LOne8DNcwunENw8sk29U/w640-h87/ReMEDIES_logo_string.jpg" width="640" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></div><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-22416728713354949142021-02-18T05:01:00.001-08:002021-02-19T01:27:16.284-08:00Reflections on rubbish: cleaning up during coronavirus<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><i>In these grim coronavirus dominated days it’s easy to lose
hope, bound, not just by four walls, but mentally shut-in too. </i><i>It can feel a bit rubbish!</i></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Jo Earlam, Marine Conservation Society Outstanding Achievement Award Winner 2020, reflects on the bright spots in a tumultuous year</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">An increase in rubbish in the countryside has been one of the impacts of lockdown life. More people out walking, eating in the open air instead of in pubs and cafes, leaving behind strewn coffee cups, discarded drinks cans and an array of plastic, crisp packets, sweet wrappers, and bottles, as well as the tell-tale signs of epidemic living, plastic gloves, and disposable face masks.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But disposing of these single use items does not mean throwing in a hedge, hurling from a car window, or casually dropping underneath benches. It means <i>disposing of them in a bin.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgHlAh80hr5cIzbLEIs3E_sz90OptrRBwYGUjl6np42Brnq7zriuqEVDoFmGs40slBHDeyDdGITniLGTXu5TJhL9unLjM0waYs59OyOxgcg_xnAjdE4q4tgh__86Dv5rbGvAc1rpgdO8/s891/143458428_4246021035408585_4822549301607652247_n_EDIT.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="891" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgHlAh80hr5cIzbLEIs3E_sz90OptrRBwYGUjl6np42Brnq7zriuqEVDoFmGs40slBHDeyDdGITniLGTXu5TJhL9unLjM0waYs59OyOxgcg_xnAjdE4q4tgh__86Dv5rbGvAc1rpgdO8/w640-h401/143458428_4246021035408585_4822549301607652247_n_EDIT.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Like a lot of people, I’ve become so disturbed by the
increasing amount of rubbish that I’ve decided to do something positive to
redress it – inspired by the Marine Conservation Society’s Litter Quest, source
to sea approach to tackling litter.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This January on six separate litter picking outings, of
between 30 minutes to two hours, I’ve picked up more than 10kgs of rubbish, in
a radius of two miles around my village. They’re routes I walk regularly with
my dog and to enjoy them, even for a short time, without litter blighting my
view, I feel better.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Through social media posts of my finds, I discovered others
are doing the same, including an intensive care nurse and her emergency
department husband, who clear up litter on their days off from frontline NHS
work.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Saving lives one day, saving the planet the next.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwV3adOLxWcJKcNS_yXVwBQYuB4gzfOShF-cxAzcby3D_mu_7tW-GOX8exaHVnNg-qEbndwGLB4fgvwt9Gz3jkik7HBy73TL2ns_yLPYVZBiza_AYW68Ht50w4CjrLXct9ZQZAfExbQi4/s1705/142836480_1448665908860043_3077255089280186151_n_EDIT.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1705" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwV3adOLxWcJKcNS_yXVwBQYuB4gzfOShF-cxAzcby3D_mu_7tW-GOX8exaHVnNg-qEbndwGLB4fgvwt9Gz3jkik7HBy73TL2ns_yLPYVZBiza_AYW68Ht50w4CjrLXct9ZQZAfExbQi4/w640-h311/142836480_1448665908860043_3077255089280186151_n_EDIT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">That’s not rubbish. That’s amazing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Thanks Lisette and Clinton Johnston for inspiring me.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Really you are the Outstanding Achievers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">You, and the army of community litter pickers out there, who
spread hope.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Already we have a local group going, the Eager Beavers, and
litter pickers have been supplied by Knights Farm Shop, who’s land borders the
River Otter where the beavers live.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We may not be able to change <i>the</i> world, but we can
change <i>our</i> world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-70323010564635696602020-12-07T07:22:00.000-08:002020-12-07T07:22:11.953-08:00Discovering Devon: How MCS volunteering is helping one Sea Champion and her daughter explore their local coastline<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;">Sea Champion Jenny, and her daughter Islay, have been undertaking MCS volunteering activities for the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award. Here Islay shares how her experiences have </b><b style="font-size: 12pt;">allowed her discover more about her local seashore.</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"My name is Islay, I’ve started my Bronze Duke
of Edinburgh (DofE) Award. I’m really excited to take on new experiences and just have a bit of fun! OK, knowing me, I’d have a lot of fun!</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It's all very exciting, and there are so many choices that you could make! You could get creative as well: whatever you decide to do (depending on the activity) you can make yourself a programme, which you </span>can<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> follow through for however long you do it. You can do </span>anything<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> in the programme that's fun and interesting for you! First of all you need to set it all up. For example: </span>filling<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> in your chosen activities, timescales, and assessors. This all takes time, and to be honest, I really wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing or not, or what I even </span>should<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> be doing! But it all became clear soon enough. My leader helps me out through it all - and some amazing parents to guide me! If you achieve a DofE award, it counts toward your progress and careers/jobs, and a good </span>thing<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> to </span>have<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> under your belt. If you're up for the challenge, then have fun and enjoy it! It is optional, and I promise you, it's not extra work!!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GvCbx_Bs3M_pEjeoOwMAkLPMBZHMFK0Vyy8SMmE-sGQNh_a6zGljKrETpas4aCOrCw76RxMjv5Oq1O8kMV4BLaICnZ-H5PcesB7j9jsRu9yMJjhRSKVnAeNsQ1P0zPpVKtW5m8gI2C4/s1600/Litter_Edited.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="777" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GvCbx_Bs3M_pEjeoOwMAkLPMBZHMFK0Vyy8SMmE-sGQNh_a6zGljKrETpas4aCOrCw76RxMjv5Oq1O8kMV4BLaICnZ-H5PcesB7j9jsRu9yMJjhRSKVnAeNsQ1P0zPpVKtW5m8gI2C4/s320/Litter_Edited.jpg" /></a></div></span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For DofE, there are 3 sections: Volunteering, Physical, and Skills
(there’s also Expedition, but the leader sorts that one out – you go out with a
group of friends for at least two days and one night). For my volunteering
section, I have chosen to volunteer for the Marine Conservation Society. There
are various things that I have considered – doing the <a href="http://bigseaweedsearch.org/" target="_blank">Big Seaweed Search</a>,
joining in with litter picking events, organizing litter picking events, or
even just litter picking on my own (with family). Whether I either organize an
event or just do it on my own, I’ll follow the litter survey and that way I can
track my progress. This also means that I’m learning about it and thinking
about it more in depth. When I do the Big Seaweed Search or go out litter picking,
I go to local beaches where I live in south Devon. This is also good because I
am learning even more about my local beaches.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I care about the Marine Conservation Society – recently my mum joined
one of their litter picking events whilst my dad, brother and I were litter
picking at the other end of the beach. We also got to join in with them a
little bit! Then when it came to my DofE choices, I was deciding what to do for
my Volunteering activity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m interested
in marine biology and I want to take that as an idea for my career path. So
overall I thought, well then maybe I should volunteer for the Marine
Conservation Society! And it was a great choice! It allows me to learn more
about my local environment and care for marine wildlife.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> I want to help as much as I can with the Marine
Conservation Society and my local marine environment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLrcZtNj-t0rEsYUazOXxTRtQElUs9E5RfDoa4kt3UGPGA_8DgSsqyxy-D35NmjeIpxMKZF3UPG29qoERiVIE4DW-E-c2xUrz4guCWiOL8RmiHsJCTKaXGvnF-Vbny35b_RM-oh5LWOE/s1600/Beach_Cleaning_edited.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLrcZtNj-t0rEsYUazOXxTRtQElUs9E5RfDoa4kt3UGPGA_8DgSsqyxy-D35NmjeIpxMKZF3UPG29qoERiVIE4DW-E-c2xUrz4guCWiOL8RmiHsJCTKaXGvnF-Vbny35b_RM-oh5LWOE/w640-h310/Beach_Cleaning_edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I want to make a change to
the world – I want to help to stop global warming and climate crises and to
help the sea. I love the sea! It’s the best thing in the world for me. My
family say that I’m a mermaid! I love swimming in the sea and snorkelling is
the best! I appreciate the wide diversity of aquatic life and what it means to
our world. If we don’t take care of everything we will lose all the immense beauty
of the sea. The sea gives us half of our oxygen to breathe for starters. And
the plastic pollution is preventing that from happening. So we’re basically
just causing ourselves all sorts of huge problems.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That’s why I’m
volunteering for the Marine Conservation Society. It’s a start, and I’m looking
forward to helping out with anything, and everything! For my Skills section of
DofE I’m doing marine biology – I go rock-pooling and see what animals I can
find (sea-snails, hermit crabs, starfish, etc). So far my most exciting find
has been a group of starfish (Cushion Stars) – seen in the wild for the first
time in my life! This is how great DofE can be! I have begun to create </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">fact sheets about all of the different rockpool
creatures I find. This is a great learning curve for me.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfqf99iEKlDu-MCClzcuaF6M2HyEbYzcx-XdLTYPc1QgE7yvHjiYYSuDXoOANeNanqcghrZsv13wswFR09DhGH2NXw9LM0013SZ0E0bsadKIdbZHSXe0OmCCihiKsuR_hL78GKGK8sNY/s1007/Cushion_Star_Edited.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="1007" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfqf99iEKlDu-MCClzcuaF6M2HyEbYzcx-XdLTYPc1QgE7yvHjiYYSuDXoOANeNanqcghrZsv13wswFR09DhGH2NXw9LM0013SZ0E0bsadKIdbZHSXe0OmCCihiKsuR_hL78GKGK8sNY/w640-h436/Cushion_Star_Edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I believe I have made good progress so far and I’m only in the first few weeks of my Bronze DofE. I’ve joined in the <a href="http://bigseaweedsearch.org/" target="_blank">Big Seaweed Search</a> and I’ve also gone litter picking with my family – my friend is doing beach cleans as well for her DofE so we might organize a big beach clean together. I’m really excited to carry on, and to experience the adventure that lies ahead. Watch this space for my updates!"</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-33571237293875449502020-08-05T02:00:00.000-07:002020-08-05T02:00:14.723-07:00Sea Champion attends international conference in Malaysia<b>This month is our Plastic Challenge at MCS and Sea Champion, Nathan, shares with us his experience of attending a conference in Malaysia on 'Plastic Solutions'. Also, read on to find out more about a film screening of "The Story of Plastic".</b><br />
<b><br /></b>What is the priority today? How will you decide? For me, I must write this article, because there is an opportunity, a deadline, and as you will see, two important lessons to share with you which changed the way I think and concern you, me, and our friends and families. Simply, today I will write.<br />
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My name is <a href="https://conservationoptimism.org/introducing-why-conserve/" target="_blank">Nathan</a>, I am a <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/seachampions/" target="_blank">Sea Champion</a> in Scotland, and was invited to write about my experiences at a major <a href="https://conbio.org/mini-sites/iccb-2019" target="_blank">international conference</a> in Malaysia last year. For 2000 conservation professionals and students in <a href="https://conbio.org/mini-sites/iccb-2019/visitor-info/venue/" target="_blank">Kuala Lumpur</a> city, a full day of presentations, workshops and symposia were organised on the theme, ‘<a href="https://conbio.org/mini-sites/iccb-2019/about/daily-themes/" target="_blank">Plastics Solutions</a>.’ <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/events" target="_blank">Beach cleans</a> were my way into the world of plastic, and now living in Asia, before getting onto solutions, I have been asked to share a quick global perspective...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDNCP82ozia5egt5rk2NNcBrwERsS88PF5qTcHtrmzAb79E-i93BRpPxv4_NSZXCvIy8-Hpcwkkq0qoR5H-yHiBFjLKQOtmjAXVrGVM0bNjpwGqKUC72gZL0rv9e2-wiggYR5I98-fKg/s1600/Nathan+Roberts+MCS+blog+plastics+solutions+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDNCP82ozia5egt5rk2NNcBrwERsS88PF5qTcHtrmzAb79E-i93BRpPxv4_NSZXCvIy8-Hpcwkkq0qoR5H-yHiBFjLKQOtmjAXVrGVM0bNjpwGqKUC72gZL0rv9e2-wiggYR5I98-fKg/s400/Nathan+Roberts+MCS+blog+plastics+solutions+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Everyone can find single-use plastics. But how easily can we find alternatives? In the UK, the <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/campaigns/plastic-challenge-home" target="_blank">Plastic Challenge in July</a> nudged me to search for <a href="https://www.realfoods.co.uk/" target="_blank">food without plastic packaging</a>, experiment with <a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/Toothpaste-Homemade-Vegan-All-Natural-Edible/" target="_blank">homemade toothpaste</a>, and ditch plastic bottles and bags. I left Scotland and moved to China in 2017, where buying food loose by weight is common practice, so I can avoid the stream of plastic bags by simply using reusables. And then last July was the <a href="https://www.seat61.com/Map-southeast-asia-train-routes.htm" target="_blank">six-day rail and road journey</a> to the conference through Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, where a lunchbox, a pair of chopsticks and water bottle were trusty travel items for picking up (delicious!) food en-route from willing street food merchants and restaurants.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivE6kNhH7XrsUX1ifc7FyfFr0PJZ17ZqWMu_tpDM3K7LcevWgxF6B555nS-tE60okmBldbE-bW8s8-rCQ5HxGs0kdPLlackS5drDNAAJbeCG_M4ed_YQ2y3RF5HRabgv5UPA0zdrGp-ik/s1600/Nathan+Roberts+MCS+blog+plastics+solutions+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivE6kNhH7XrsUX1ifc7FyfFr0PJZ17ZqWMu_tpDM3K7LcevWgxF6B555nS-tE60okmBldbE-bW8s8-rCQ5HxGs0kdPLlackS5drDNAAJbeCG_M4ed_YQ2y3RF5HRabgv5UPA0zdrGp-ik/s400/Nathan+Roberts+MCS+blog+plastics+solutions+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Monday morning in Malaysia with deep ocean explorer, Fabien Cousteau, was brilliant! In his opening session, ‘<a href="https://conbio.org/mini-sites/iccb-2019/program/plenary-speakers/#Monday,%2022%20July" target="_blank">What’s good for the environment is good for business</a>’, he shared his adventures and love of the ocean, celebrated innovation, opportunities and strength of young people, and raised the need for making bold decisions. The end of that day had a profound effect on me – an evening of cinema with <a href="https://plasticoceans.org/craig-leeson/" target="_blank">Craig Leeson</a>, director of ‘<a href="https://aplasticocean.movie/" target="_blank">A Plastic Ocean</a>’, referred to by Sir David Attenborough as “one of the most important films of our time.” Effects of plastics on wildlife and wild places were deep in my conscious, but plastic as a global threat to public health…?</div>
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<b>[Lesson 1] Plastic has significant risks to human health throughout its lifecycle.</b> <a href="https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Plastic-and-Health-The-Hidden-Costs-of-a-Plastic-Planet-February-2019.pdf" target="_blank">Toxic chemicals associated with plastic</a> are many. At least 175 known hazardous chemicals are used in food packaging in the EU, and chemicals can shed into food as plastic degrades in contact with light, heat and food. Extraction of the initial fossil fuels and incineration of plastic waste releases toxic substances into the air and water. We know these chemicals are associated with cancer, brain health, child development, and reproductive, respiratory and immune system function.<br />
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<b>[Lesson 2] If we classify plastic waste as hazardous, it could be easier to legislate.</b> <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/494169a.pdf" target="_blank">Beyond this article</a>, I draw on two cases you might know? i) <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/chemical_safety/meat_hormones_en" target="_blank">Hormones in meat</a> – substances used for growth promotion in farm animals are prohibited in the EU, on the evidence of tumours in humans. ii) <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/332185/9789240006034-eng.pdf" target="_blank">Breast-milk substitutes</a> – recognising the importance of breastfeeding for the health of mothers and infants, the World Health Organisation recommends that there should be an international code on the marketing of infant formula and other substitutes. In both cases we see big industries, global players, and the driving forces of public health interests influencing policies, markets and consumption. Any other examples?<br />
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Just weeks into my <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019" target="_blank">COVID-19</a> lockdown experience, in February these lessons were clearer than ever. With no other option than online shopping, my power to choose unpackaged food was gone, delivered instead in bags within bags. I remembered contesting with a good friend in 2016 whether behaviour change or policy had greater effect on changing plastic use. We recognised the <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/news/bag_use_drops" target="_blank">huge win of the plastic bag levy</a>, though I held on to the power of the ‘conscious consumer’. Now, however, we all bear witness to the speed and scale at which an all-of-government response can change the ‘normal’ (note, on the basis of public health).<br />
<br /><b><i>The views are personal to the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Marine Conservation Society.</i></b></div>
Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-42975643301447907592020-07-24T02:38:00.001-07:002020-07-24T02:38:32.367-07:00The Big Seaweed Search - helping out during lockdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Here at MCS, we really appreciate all the help and support that our volunteers can give us. This year has been a bit different, but there are still ways that volunteers can help support our work. Sea Champion Sally tells us how she has been involved with validating data for the Big Seaweed Search. </b><br />
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Hi there! I’m Sally, a Sea Champion, (fair-weather) <a href="http://seasearch.org.uk/" target="_blank">Seasearch</a> diver and a marine biology placement year student working with the Marine Conservation Society and the Natural History Museum for the Big Seaweed Search project. (Yes, that is my seaweed-ing suit for anyone who’s wondering!) <br />
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So, a bit of background to me and why I get to tell you about the Big Seaweed Search. I became a member of the MCS in 2017 having spoken to volunteers at their stand at the ExCel dive show, but I only really got involved with MCS when I got to Plymouth University. There I met lots of brilliant and likeminded people, whereby I got roped in (in a good way) to become a Seasearch diver, something I had wanted to get into as soon as I moved down to the coast! <br />
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It was around that time that I met up with Jules, the (brilliant) Sea Champion coordinator for the South West, as she was recruiting Sea Champions to work with the University. As we were talking she mentioned the Big Seaweed Search project, something I hadn’t heard about before. Although not my primary focus of studies, seaweed is immensely interesting (well to me at least!), so I asked if there was anything I could do to get involved. Yes, was the short answer! <br />
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Jules set up a dialog between me and (the wonderful) Professor Juliet Brodie, who pretty much runs the project, to discuss what I could do to help out with it. Turns out they were looking for someone to volunteer and do some data analysis of the collected data from the past four years. To me this sounded like the perfect placement opportunity during this pandemic and a great way to improve my data skills, so I asked if I would be suitable? Well, I must have said something right as I’m now on the team and doing my placement with them! <br />
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“But Sally,” I hear you ask. “What is the Big Seaweed Search and how can I get involved?” The Big Seaweed Search is a citizen science project, so it relies on citizen scientists (that’s you!) to go out to the coast and take a survey of the seaweed that’s there. All the information can be found on the BSS website (<a href="http://bigseaweedsearch.org/">http://bigseaweedsearch.org/</a>), including a guide for how to run your survey, what 14 species of seaweed you will be looking out for and how to identify them. There’s also a printable recording form, so you don’t have to memorise every species you see.<br />
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My job now is to look through all the past surveys that have been done, making sure that the data entries are correct by verifying photos that are sent in with the survey. Then analysing the data against three environmental changes: sea temperature rise, ocean acidification and the spread of non-native species, to see if they are having an impact on our seaweed habitats. <br />
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This analysis will hopefully garner some interesting results that we hope will be able to be published in a paper. It will be a great show for all the hard work the surveyors have put into the project already! <br />
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If you’re a Sea Champion already, in the July E-Bulletin for the South West there’s an article about News, Feedback and a Data Request for the BSS, asking that if you have taken part in a survey before, check that you uploaded your photos, as this is the only way we (…well I) can verify the seaweeds that you’ve recorded! <br />
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If you’re now just really eager to get out to your local beach and do some citizen science (which I hope you are!), then all you need to do is go onto the Big Seaweed Search website (<a href="http://bigseaweedsearch.org/">http://bigseaweedsearch.org/</a>), download (and print) the guide and recording form, grab a pencil and your camera and/or smartphone, get down to the beach and have fun!<br />
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Happy recording everyone! Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-19997073776087001722020-03-30T04:28:00.001-07:002020-03-30T04:47:28.243-07:00Beach cleans: "It's not just about plastic"<b>With the UK in lockdown, getting out and about is difficult. Especially if you have a fondness for our beaches. At MCS, we are looking at ways that our amazing volunteers can still contribute to our work, whilst looking after their wellbeing at this time. Today we thought we'd share volunteer, Sarah's, account of a beach clean </b><b>and why it's not just about the plastic you can find.</b><br />
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"It's not just about plastic".<br />
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These few words, spoken by the Marine Conservation Society’s passionate Public Engagement Officer, Alisdair, are the perfect way to summarise the morning we have just spent on Littlehampton’s windy beach. People of all ages and all walks of life, from groups of friends and colleagues to couples and families, have gathered here to volunteer as part of MCS’ Great British Beach Clean.<br />
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The sun is shining, and despite the strong breeze, it’s not too cold. The deep blue sea seems miles away, as the low tide reveals endless expanses of beige sand. If I look down, I can still see the footsteps of early morning dog walkers and the pawprints of their faithful companions. Every hundred meters or so, dark wooden groynes lead the eye back towards the blue horizon. Hungry seagulls are flying above looking for breakfast.<br />
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Towards the top of the beach, the sand gradually gives way to millions of grey, beige and white pebbles. This is where our group is now huddled, awaiting instructions. <br />
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Struggling slightly to be heard over the screeching seagulls and the gusts of wind, Littlehampton Great Beach Clean organiser, Kate Whitton, gives us a brief background of the charity and the overview of the day. Her enthusiasm is contagious and already, we can’t wait to get going. <br />
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First, we are to perform a survey. Across a 100-metre-long strip of beach, we will pick and record every bit of litter we find. Armed with picking sticks, clipboards and garden bags, we spread across the survey area. Some of us disappear towards the low tide, where the small waves break gently against the wet sand. Others choose the area near the promenade and search among the dry pebbles. All of us are hunched and focused. I pause and wonder what we must look like to passers-by. <br />
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In less than an hour, we collectively pick 2.5kgs of plastic, glass and other household items – when you remember how light plastic is, this is actually a huge amount, and given that the council cleaned the beach this very morning, even more alarming. <br />
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For the next hour, we spread further and pick as much litter as we possibly can. When the time comes to weigh the litter again, it has increased by a further 11kgs. <br />
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By cleaning this beach, we will help marine life: fish, crabs, sea snails, barnacles and mussels will thrive in a healthier sea. But we will also help our fellow human beings, who would eventually be eating plastic themselves, as it sadly makes its way up the food chain. <br />
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But as Alisdair so rightly said, it’s not just about the plastic… <br />
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<b>It’s about enjoying a sunny morning on the beach! </b><br />
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I grew up in the south of France, but I have lived in the UK long enough now to understand weather pessimism. “I bet it’s going to rain!” we say whenever we are planning outdoors activities. But today, it’s a warm late-summer sun greeting us as we set off on our litter picking mission. Only a few white clouds blemish the bright blue sky. <br />
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A strong breeze cools the air, bringing with it the smell of seaweed and suddenly, I am taken back to the times when, as a child, I used to visit my British grandmother, only a few kilometres from here. She would take me for walks along Worthing’s promenade then buy me an ice cream – I always thought it was a strange choice of snack for what I thought were such cold days. <br />
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I came back years later with my first love. We would spend hours stacking pebbles, looking for crabs, throwing ricochets and spotting worm holes. <br />
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Walking on the sand with him, hands held tight and eyes blind with love, I guess I missed the fishing lines, beer cans, plastic sheets and broken glass which, even then, spoiled our precious shores. This time, I am intently looking for them, but this memory nonetheless leaves me with a feeling of nostalgic happiness. <br />
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<b>It’s about the people you meet! </b><br />
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I joined this project on my own but as has often happened when volunteering solo in the past, I initially felt a slight apprehension. I picture myself picking litter on my own, while around me, groups of friends, colleagues and families laugh together; I have to remind myself that I was not here to make friends, but here to help make the world a better place. Of course, what I find each time I volunteer, is that I always end up meeting cool people alongside saving the planet and that these two things often go hand in hand. <br />
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Apprehension subsides soon enough, when people in marine blue shirts – the organisers – smile at me as they scurry around looking for bits and completing last-minute tasks. They’re now ready to welcome us and check us in. Within minutes, I am in conversation with them and other volunteers. <br />
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When the activity kicks in, it doesn’t take long for us all to mingle, swap picking techniques and compete about which one of us has found the weirdest or most unlikely item. We talk about our lives and jobs and agree on how lucky we are to be here, under the Friday morning sun, when most of our colleagues are stuck under the bright neon of an open plan office, listening to the hum of the air conditioning and the screech of the printer, instead of the wind and the seagulls. <br />
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<b>It’s about learning! </b><br />
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If asked to list the items I would expect to find washing up on the shores of our precious beaches, plastic would have been my first answer. I wouldn’t have suggested half of the items we found this morning: exploded fireworks, children toys, sanitary products or medical devices. Of all the items we collected, the largest proportion came from our homes or our picnics, but the fishing and shipping industries are also highly responsible for damaging our coasts. <br />
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But it’s not just litter we find on the beach and as the morning progresses, the MCS team, always full of smiles and gratitude, share with us their knowledge about the creatures of the sea. We learn that mussels cleanse the sea by filtering microplastics and other pollutants, how barnacles adapt to increasingly difficult conditions, and how some algae fill little pockets with air in order to rise to the <br />
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surface of the sea to catch some sun rays for photosynthesis. I also find my first mermaid’s purse, from which a shark fish must once have emerged, a tiny but entirely formed creature, before escaping into the sea. <br />
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Of course, we also learn about the great work conducted everyday by the MCS, the importance of the survey we have just performed, and how volunteers can support even further! <br />
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<b>It’s about doing something worthwhile! </b><br />
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I am aware that this small strip of beach we have cleared this morning is not going to stop all the pollution, reverse all the effects of global warming or indeed stop marine life getting entangled. But together, the 100 or so of us may have saved the lives of 100 fish, 100 mussels, 100 limpets, or 100 other creatures. We have also given each other strength and hope, feeding off each other’s enthusiasm and love for our planet. And together with all the other beach cleaners around the country – and hopefully around the world – we have had an even greater impact. <br />
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After having had so much fun, we will share our experiences with our colleagues and friends and hopefully inspire them to take part next year. <br />
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It’s sometimes easy to feel we are entering the post-apocalyptic world of a dystopian movie. The world is waking up to the climate crisis and that of plastic pollution. With this awakening can come worry and “doom and gloom” as they call it over here. I think this may cause paralysis. I strongly believe that we can do something about it and by making volunteering fun, we can unite to make the planet a better place for us and future generations. <br />
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Today, huge climate strikes are happening around the world. There is one in Brighton, which has just started. And after a relaxing time volunteering in the sun, I am off to join the fight. <br />
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So, a day at the beach or a day saving the planet? How about both?<br />
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<b>If you would like to suggest ways for volunteers to continue being involved in our work whilst we are in lockdown, then please send your ideas to seachampions@mcsuk.org, adding "Volunteer Ideas" into the subject heading.</b>Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-33857343198617850862020-02-24T09:00:00.002-08:002021-03-05T03:36:04.425-08:00How I became a marine biologist<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtI8cyRbWR4GVcQxlxzEEoEA-zeMbaFBs19DCaBcY66E8S-XSpUQwSbQOZ3UnDO00k9nyUEHUCjtgavEyoHnSWcbm_vEjE3F-hDD_kTTjs5aVK0uS371cJzWQQqbUAYf0IWByjbQfDAvw/s1600/FIG3-me-Ta-Cenc-Gozo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1600" height="413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtI8cyRbWR4GVcQxlxzEEoEA-zeMbaFBs19DCaBcY66E8S-XSpUQwSbQOZ3UnDO00k9nyUEHUCjtgavEyoHnSWcbm_vEjE3F-hDD_kTTjs5aVK0uS371cJzWQQqbUAYf0IWByjbQfDAvw/w640-h413/FIG3-me-Ta-Cenc-Gozo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Charlotte Bolton, our Seasearch Co-ordinator, shares her journey to becoming a marine biologist...or, her "long and winding path to becoming an amateur squidge geek!" </b><br />
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My early life in the depths of the East Midlands, about as far from the sea as you can get, wasn’t auspicious in terms of signalling where I was eventually to end up, but did instil in me a deep love of nature and collecting ‘treasures’ in matchboxes. I grew up on a farm in South Leicestershire and spent my days out and about enjoying the freedom of the countryside. We had traditional family holidays at the seaside and I clearly remember my fear of the lurking worms in the casts at Lepe on the Solent (some things haven’t changed; I’m still not at all keen on worms, eels and snakes and am guaranteed to use up my air very quickly diving a wreck with lurking congers…) <br />
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School wasn’t particularly high on my list of favourite things but I was a quietly rebellious bookish nerd even at a young age and found the arcane rules and regulations of lessons restrictive and boring. Fast-forward to secondary school, now slightly further south in Northamptonshire and the same applied – I can’t do three science ‘O’ levels? Really?! How ridiculous is that? Fortunately I had a supportive biology teacher who gave me the material to work on at home, though eventually I chose to read chemistry at university – it all came very easily to me, apart from the lab work which mostly resulted in a lot of broken test tubes! I simply couldn’t translate the clean and tidy world of the theory into the mess that were my experiments… King’s College London came to my rescue in offering a degree in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry – perfect! My final year undergrad project “Application of Lie Groups and Clifford Algebras to the Valence Bond Method” (no, it makes less sense to me now too!) led on to a PhD in radiation chemistry, looking at the theory of spin effects and lots of quantum mechanics – Professor Brian Cox without the stars, if you like. But it gave me the opportunity to travel and work in the United States and I spent two summers at the Radiation Laboratory of the University of Notre Dame, home of the famous Fighting Irish college football team. <br />
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I still wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do as a career but enjoyed exercising my brain (and people seemed prepared to pay me to do so…) and continued in research at the Medical Research Council Harwell Lab near Oxford, modelling the effects of radiation on biomolecules such as DNA. Three years later and I was forced to conclude that I was not really cut out for a research career so took a sideways move into IT support 100 miles further east in the Fens – the Unilever Centre for Molecular Science Informatics at the University of Cambridge to be precise. Here I was responsible for all aspects of IT in this newly-built research centre – well-remunerated but very stressful… Fortunately around this time I decided that I needed more water in my life, and learned to dive with Gozo Aqua Sports in Marsalforn, Gozo in 2002. Hindsight is wonderful – how I wished I’d done this years ago…! Diving and Gozo have been central to my life ever since. <br />
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And so began a return to studenthood – a fabulous period not only for being based in the wonderful National Oceanography Centre but all the extra-curricular activities that took over all my spare time and more. A project based on habitat mapping in the West Solent introduced me to the ‘joys’ of GIS and the marine habitat classification, EUNIS biotope codes and broad-scale habitats, but even more importantly I was so fortunate to meet the people who have mentored me in my current incarnation as squidge geek, and continue as friends to this day – Ken Collins and Jenny Mallinson from the NOC, Lin Baldock (professional marine biologist and now Dorset/Hampshire Seasearch co-ordinator) and Mike Markey (now retired but then owner of the dive boat ‘Peveril Myth’ on which so many adventures took place). I think the finest hour of dedicated survey effort for Jenny and I was measuring Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) at Weston Point in the snow one December… <br />
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My overseas diving was somewhat curtailed by no longer being employed so I quickly learned to use a drysuit and got used to the cooler greener waters of home. I now do most of my diving in the UK and Seasearch has been an integral part of that transition. I can’t remember exactly where or when I first heard about the program (probably at the Dive Show in Birmingham?) What a brilliant idea! As the one buried in the ID books at the dive centre straight after every dive, this was just what I was looking for! Nice slow bimbles followed by geeky discussions about what you’d seen on the dive… This is the thing I really love about Seasearch trips (though I admit we do sometimes come across as being a bit anorak-y…perhaps it’s the bags of collected seaweed or pots of unidentified ‘turf’?!) <br />
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An advert for Data and Survey Officer at Dorset Wildlife Trust, with part of the job being to co-ordinate Dorset Seasearch activities, convinced me to make the move from Cambridge in 2012. Sometimes you just have to up sticks and make the leap of faith.<br />
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Now I live 30m from the sea and even the storms of February 2014 weren’t a deterrent – it’s fascinating watching the beach change shape with every tide and listening to the waves crash onto the shingle. We used to holiday at Chesil Cove in the 1980s, and in many ways Portland hasn’t changed very much at all. <br />
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And so to the present… I took over from Chris Wood as National Seasearch Co-ordinator in 2016 and now spend too much time with budget spreadsheets and grant proposals, but with the added bonus of travelling round to meet all the co-ordinators and find out what’s going on in their patch. The high points of the job are generally when I am either involved in Seasearch survey dives as a volunteer, with other equally keen/mad (depending on the conditions) volunteers, or delivering talks and training courses to enthuse new people about coming and joining us. I am proof that you don’t need to be a professional marine biologist, you just need enthusiasm for marine life, be keen to want to learn more about it and willing to give up your spare time to do so. The rewards come in the form of concrete, real-life conservation successes such as Marine Protected Areas or fishery byelaws based on your efforts (oh yeah, and the cake…!) <br />
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In 2018 we celebrated 30 years of Seasearch surveys under that name, which is a magnificent achievement and grand testimony to the dedication of all the people who’ve been involved in the program since then (and earlier – back to the 1970s and the Year of Underwater Conservation). I am exceedingly proud to be part of the ongoing Seasearch story… <br />
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<b>If you want to find out more about Seasearch, please visit:- <a href="http://seasearch.org.uk/">www.seasearch.org.uk/</a></b></div>
Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-17586107986961924522020-02-19T08:29:00.000-08:002020-02-19T08:29:41.602-08:00Sea Champions from Plymouth University SCUBA Society complete the Seasearch Observer Course<b>Sea Champion Georgie talks about organising a Seasearch Observer Course for the SCUBA Society at Plymouth University. </b><br />
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"<a href="http://seasearch.org.uk/" target="_blank">Seasearch</a> is a project for volunteer scuba divers and snorkellers who have an interest in what they're seeing underwater, want to learn more and want to help protect the marine environment around the coasts of Britain and Ireland. The main aim is to map out the various types of sea bed found in the near-shore zone around the whole of Britain and Ireland. In addition, we are recording what lives in each area, establishing the richest sites for marine life, the sites where there are problems and the sites which need protection." Seasearch<br />
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Two Sea Champion students at Plymouth University, along with five other members of the UPSU SCUBA Society completed the Seasearch Observer Course last month. The course comprised of a theory session hosted on campus on Saturday 16th November followed by two survey dives the next day on West Hoe Waterfront.<br />
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Sea Champion and SCUBA Society Chair, Georgie, wanted to organise an observer training course to provide an opportunity for members to develop their scientific diving skills. Becoming a Seasearch observer is the perfect way for divers to build up their marine identification, underwater photography, and surveying skills. Arguably the best part about the course is that it is open to recreational and commercial divers, which allows greater participation across programmes and experience levels. The course not only teaches students how to carry out survey work but also raises awareness about Seasearch’s impact on marine management.<br />
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Sea Champion Sally said:<br />
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<i>“I found the Seasearch Observer course really useful for solidifying my knowledge of local identification of species. It was run professionally and organised amazingly well by the SCUBA committee. The teacher, Chris Webb, was wonderful and engaging throughout the whole theory day, and excellent at developing our written survey skills after our dives the following day. It was brilliant also having experienced Seasearch diver Chris Wood on the scene for the diving, making sure our ID and biotopes were correct. Lovely people to work with and I can't wait to get some more survey dives under my (weight) belt!”</i><br />
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Dan said:<br />
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<i>“I thought it was beneficial in adding a more practical, marine conservation element to our diving as it was really well related to our course. It gives you more initiative to go diving and discover different sites around Plymouth, and feels rewarding that you're adding to conservation data set."</i><br />
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Mason said:<br />
<i><br />“Before the course, I dived for fun but now I have a new perspective of what I see when I dive.”</i><br />
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Greg said:<br />
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<i>“I loved the course. I personally thought it was really helpful as I’m an ocean ex/surveying student so my species ID isn’t the best, but it improved it a lot.”</i><br />
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Georgie, Sea Champion and current SCUBA Society Chair<br />
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<i>“It was a pleasure arranging the course for our members, many of which are keen to continue their journey as an observer and fill out forms on club dives. I’d like to thank Chris for all of her efforts and for making the course so enjoyable.”</i><br />
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After completing the observer course, students are required to complete three observer forms to become a qualified observer. Students at the University are now using club dives to complete their qualification. If you’d like to become an observer, Seasearch Devon Co-ordinator Chris Webb is running a course on the 2nd and 3rd of May 2020 at Fort Bovisand, Plymouth. Other course dates and locations are available and can be viewed at <a href="http://www.seasearch.org.uk/training.html">www.seasearch.org.uk/training.html</a>. Observers are also <br />
encouraged to join Seasearch dives, where they can fill out forms with local expert observers and co-ordinators. Seasearch also offers special interest courses and the Surveyor courses for observers keen to better their skills.<br />
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<b>Georgie has since delivered a successful talk at The Waterfront, Plymouth, which was kindly hosted by Plymouth Sound Divers (BSAC Club). The talk was open to all and detailed the background of Seasearch, what is expected of volunteers, how the data provided by volunteers is used and finished off with the importance of recording at depths below 30m. She received positive feedback from those in the club who regularly dive below 30m, some of which were keen to become observers. She also introduced the ReMEDIES project to the club and told them about the Plymouth SAC and its seagrass habitats. No doubt she will keep them up-to-date with any dives happening in that area! Fantastic work Georgie!</b><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "calibri" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-12979293290287833222020-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:002020-02-10T09:00:05.934-08:00Seashore citizen science for Duke of Edinburgh award<b>At MCS, we value all the contributions that volunteers give to our work. Citizen science projects are a great way to support the conservation of the marine environment and they help us to understand some of the impacts of climate change. Anneliese, one of our Sea Champions, has been taking part in three citizen science projects as part of her Duke of Edinburgh award. She tells us more about what she has been getting up to on our coastlines...</b><br />
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I am a second year Environmental Science student studying at The University of Plymouth. I am currently undertaking my Gold Duke of Edinburgh award and a requirement for this is to complete 18 months of volunteering for a minimum of an hour a week. My university was offering a volunteering fair where I met Jules Agate (Sea Champions Volunteer and Community Engagement Manager). Jules explained to me what volunteering positions were available for me to help with on a long-term scale. That’s when I heard about citizen science projects ‘The Big Seaweed Search’, ‘Marine Invaders’ and ‘CrabWatch’. The Big Seaweed Search involves undertaking shore surveys to record different types of seaweeds to help scientific research. These seaweeds range from species such as Serrated Wrack, Channelled Wrack and Coral Weed (just a few examples). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRioo3QZ0XRz4PAIIsmDfvnDppoHJHgXRYpAQxmdMsRl_GUx2wPSybMvUd2qDMmpBW_qu6xfD_6IuH9k4LMlr_aY5A7dGYoz0EUDzc68tmwk2ubUU4diH0BjOiiWmRq5tLjTSEVS5W4jQ/s1600/thumbnail_Coral+weed+Wembury+Bay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="666" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRioo3QZ0XRz4PAIIsmDfvnDppoHJHgXRYpAQxmdMsRl_GUx2wPSybMvUd2qDMmpBW_qu6xfD_6IuH9k4LMlr_aY5A7dGYoz0EUDzc68tmwk2ubUU4diH0BjOiiWmRq5tLjTSEVS5W4jQ/s320/thumbnail_Coral+weed+Wembury+Bay.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coral Weed found at Wembury Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6twBaKJlcqxlmdeE_7N5cOY-szCCD-TwZucOUmZ52cnTyUouIYa-R-09l7KcVehubr0Dmfq1t8Y9FH0xiTbCGHiNgBnO-CyFqgSlHioa6WEMKsi8oJg8adC0_oR1sF6GUT32hQu1rsr4/s1600/thumbnail_Edible+crab+Jennycliff%252C+Plymouth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6twBaKJlcqxlmdeE_7N5cOY-szCCD-TwZucOUmZ52cnTyUouIYa-R-09l7KcVehubr0Dmfq1t8Y9FH0xiTbCGHiNgBnO-CyFqgSlHioa6WEMKsi8oJg8adC0_oR1sF6GUT32hQu1rsr4/s1600/thumbnail_Edible+crab+Jennycliff%252C+Plymouth.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edible Crab found at Jennycliff</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7uBH9tg0AGRTTLkX3XXIKALbX-I3CEEJdBSsYXdt_xRMCRSjGi43lJTeEXAFWV1oQXVheNt-rlmLypSGT-4b6vkO4t3mWT4Dqgmlvg4oL1H_spyXtKCMBvwVb3-somWb89Xejqlcw39M/s1600/thumbnail_Serrated+wrack+Mousehole+harbour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="668" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7uBH9tg0AGRTTLkX3XXIKALbX-I3CEEJdBSsYXdt_xRMCRSjGi43lJTeEXAFWV1oQXVheNt-rlmLypSGT-4b6vkO4t3mWT4Dqgmlvg4oL1H_spyXtKCMBvwVb3-somWb89Xejqlcw39M/s320/thumbnail_Serrated+wrack+Mousehole+harbour.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serrated Wrack found at Mousehole Harbour</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKrQAJwlaVwc3SneFVPwpzyK5ixGF0l8kzYl7CtYUCrWbWoNa2fd46oQ-gKbDfFWmlGfJFB_E2LpWj2GxiSsrGPDLvdKXv74qgQl-PwQp0Va3LZ48hgKJJ-WBBX_jBs9MbHpAXP8lkD4/s1600/Channelled+wrack+found+in+the+Yealm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKrQAJwlaVwc3SneFVPwpzyK5ixGF0l8kzYl7CtYUCrWbWoNa2fd46oQ-gKbDfFWmlGfJFB_E2LpWj2GxiSsrGPDLvdKXv74qgQl-PwQp0Va3LZ48hgKJJ-WBBX_jBs9MbHpAXP8lkD4/s1600/Channelled+wrack+found+in+the+Yealm.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Channelled Wrack found in the Yealm</td></tr>
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Identification guides for all species, as well as recording forms are all available online at <a href="http://bigseaweedsearch.org/">http://bigseaweedsearch.org/</a>. You also input your collected data and photos into an online database via the link too. Its super-simple once you know what you’re doing and a great excuse to get outside! There are some days of course when its unsafe to venture too close to the sea, meaning a lay day or two may be required, if there are health and safety risks. Obviously, tides can also affect the timings of your searches if your destination involves a rocky shore. That’s where the Marine Biological Association project, ‘CrabWatch’ comes in! <br />
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CrabWatch is a hunt for different species of crabs that can be surveyed at a rocky shore, off a jetty etc. This means that when the tide is too high to survey a rocky shore, CrabWatch can be adapted when the tide is high by crabbing from a pier or a harbour wall. Again, all ID guides and recording sheets are available here: <a href="http://www.mba.ac.uk/crabwatch/">www.mba.ac.uk/crabwatch/</a>. <br />
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Additionally, ‘Marine Invaders’ is another scheme developed through the Capturing Our Coast partnership involving the Marine Conservation Society and Marine Biological Association, amongst others. Non-native species are searched for and assessed such as the Pacific Oyster compared to the European Oyster. The same method is used where-by you visit the rocky shore or sea wall etc with your ID guide and look out for the species on the recording form: <a href="http://www.mba.ac.uk/marineinvaders/">www.mba.ac.uk/marineinvaders/</a>. <br />
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All three of the above are super exciting and fun to get involved in. Not only do you help out a great cause by being a citizen scientist, but you also get to develop an array of skills ranging from species identification through to even noticing trends from shore to shore yourself (once you’ve had a go a few times). I would definitely recommend getting in touch with the Marine Conservation Society (who are super friendly and helpful) to get all the advice you need to become an MCS Sea Champion and citizen scientist on the shore!</div>
Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-78841395131889416732020-01-14T04:27:00.001-08:002020-01-14T04:27:22.058-08:00A surprise win!<b>Every year, MCS have an Annual General Meeting (AGM) were we celebrate our achievements and the work of our supporters. One of the ways we do this is by awarding someone our Outstanding Achievement Award (previously known as the “Fish Award”). This year, the winner of this award was our Sea Champion, Andy. It came as a bit of a surprise... </b><br />
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I’ve been volunteering for MCS since 2012, organising and running beach cleans in my local area. When my employer launched an environmental initiative in 2015, I worked with MCS and my employer to organise a beach clean for staff members, which was a great success! <br />
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I have been involved with a joint MCS and Defra project since September 2015. The project is part of UK’s contribution to a piece of EU legislation called the <a href="https://water.europa.eu/marine/policy/marine-strategy-framework-directive" target="_blank">Marine Strategy Framework Directive</a> (MSFD). The project is a specific monitoring programme, four times per year, on up to 20 beaches geographically spread around the UK. I have run all MSFD events in my local area since the project started. The data collected goes directly to Defra, however MSFD monitoring requires us to look at the same set of beaches over the next three years, and needs to have the full set of seasonal data (i.e. four times per year). <br />
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In addition, I have delivered education sessions in schools, attended events and campaigned to ban the mass release of balloons and sky lanterns. I do also volunteer for a couple of other charities, as well as working in retail. <br />
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Whilst I consider my volunteering role to play an important part of the bigger picture, I’m always inspired by people who fundraise for MCS in amazing ways, such as swimming the English Channel or rowing the Atlantic single-handed. There are so many passionate people raising awareness of plastic pollution, climate change and the health of our seas, that I was really surprised to learn that I had been nominated for the Outstanding Achievement Award. Not only that, but I’d also won it!<br />
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Helping to raise the profile of the work MCS do and how our actions are affecting the planet is something I care greatly about. I never imagined (or expected) to win an award for volunteering with MCS. but it was truly humbling to receive it! <br />
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It was a great experience to attend MCS’s AGM in London, and to catch up with some familiar faces. The evening was positive and had a lovely atmosphere. Now I’m looking forward to 2020 and continuing with my volunteering. </div>
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<b>Well done Andy! And to all our Sea Champions who help us across the country with our work. If you would like to attend a beach clean, or run your own, feel free to visit our Beachwatch website: <a href="http://mcsuk.org/beachwatch">mcsuk.org/beachwatch</a>.</b></div>
Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-44641010847388283902020-01-09T04:00:00.000-08:002020-01-09T04:30:52.454-08:00Thank you to all our volunteers!<br />
<b>2019 was a wonderful year with incredible support from our amazing volunteers! Here's what you achieved in 12 months...</b><br />
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<br />Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-89977783452224376302019-08-30T04:54:00.000-07:002019-08-30T04:54:22.030-07:00Why should you volunteer?<b>We always love to hear from our volunteers and what they enjoy about their experiences with us. Our Sea Champion, Ben, has shared with us why he feels volunteering for Marine Conservation Society is important to him.</b><br />
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Volunteering isn't easy. I'm not referring to the act of giving up one's own time in order to contribute to important work, but instead to finding an organisation that thrives off the contributions of volunteer efforts. I'm glad to say that the Marine Conservation Society embraces such efforts.<br />
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At the start of 2019 I found myself working on a freelance basis for the first time which allowed me free time to do something I've wanted to do for many years - dive into the exciting adventure that is volunteering for charities and causes that really got me excited. </div>
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So far I have worked on a voluntary basis for five charities. All charities are based within the environmental/animal welfare/conservation area, but not all are equal. Only with the Marine Conservation Society have I found a place to contribute my time and effort, and in return, become part of an important team that I feel is making a real impact on UK shores. For this I am very glad I have found, and met, some great people within MCS. </div>
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A normal day with MCS consists of carrying out beach cleans on some of the most awesome coastlines in the world. I don't think I'm milking it…have you seen the British coastline on a sunny day?! I've cleaned beaches with local residents of coastal towns, seen companies excited about helping out, and been involved with supporting local schools (kids love the beach and upon finding litter on said beach are very enthusiastic beach cleaners which is very reassuring to witness!)<br />
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With the Marine Conservation Society’s beach cleans it's not only the fact that we are removing large amounts of litter off the beaches which makes the work so worthwhile, it is also about promoting education as an important part of the day on the beach. Don't stop reading - learning is cool! </div>
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Beach clean days allow us to show the impacts of items we’re throwing away, even though their effect on our environment might not be immediately obvious. Did you know it takes a disposable nappy up to 500 years to decompose? I didn’t until recently and neither do many people who take part in beach clean days. This stuff is really important, because knowledge is power, and that's important when you are trying to save the world (or at least the oceans). Every second breath you take comes from the ocean, so protecting it and educating people about it is of the upmost importance. Facts like this are flying all over the place at MCS beach cleans, and it's surprising and alarming how some people aren't up-to-date with their biodegradable timescales (right?). </div>
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I've found myself away on trips surveying whales, dolphins and porpoises in seas far away with charities wondering if these mammals will be here much longer if it wasn't for work being done by charities like MCS. Did you know the garbage patch in the North Pacific is nine times larger than the UK? MCS is actively reducing the chances of such garbage patches growing by getting rubbish off the beaches before it joins the ever-growing problem. </div>
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MCS is carrying out important work that is ensuring a future for marine wildlife in our seas and on our shores. If you want to get involved, a good place to start would be the Great British Beach Clean taking place between 20th-23rd September country-wide. If you pop down to the SE coast you could meet me! Any time you can put in is always appreciated and MCS is always very happy to see you there. </div>
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Check out the full list of beach cleans happening for the Great British Beach Clean and regular beach cleans in your area at: <a href="http://mcsuk.org/beachwatch/events">mcsuk.org/beachwatch/events</a>.<br />
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<b>Although Great British Beach Clean is fast approaching, there is still time to register to organise or participate in a beach clean. Visit <a href="http://mcsuk.org/beachwatch">mcsuk.org/beachwatch</a> to find out more.</b></div>
Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-19186939814176375352019-08-01T01:15:00.000-07:002019-08-01T01:15:00.217-07:00How Amy is championing our seas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Shawn and Bethany from <a href="https://www.themarinediaries.com/" target="_blank">The Marine Diaries</a>, recently interviewed one of our Sea Champions, Amy to find out how her volunteering role with Marine Conservation Society has changed her life. </b></div>
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<b><i>Sea Champion, citizen scientist, podcast founder, dedicated marine advocate. All of these words can be used to describe Amy Parker, a woman driven by her passion for the ocean to raise awareness for marine conservation. We sat down for an interview with Amy to get an inside look at what it means to be a Sea Champion and how she found her voice for the marine world through Se</i></b>a Tales. <br />
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Standing on the iconic shoreline of Sand Bay. Photo: Amy Parker</div>
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<b>HEY, AMY! TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. </b></div>
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Hi there, I am a Scot living in Bristol but about to move Yorkshire. I work in education and campaigning and my passion is marine conservation. Nothing makes me happier than exploring rock pools, cleaning beaches, hunting for cowries or snorkelling – not too deep though! As much as I love the ocean, I haven’t been able to get over my fear of deep water. </div>
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<b>YOU’VE BUILT YOUR LIFE AROUND THE OCEAN. WHAT DREW YOU TO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE? </b></div>
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I grew up by the coast in Edinburgh and spent every summer camping by the beach. It is where I feel the most at home. Scotland has the most beautiful white sandy beaches. If it wasn’t for the water temperature you would think you were in the tropics. </div>
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Iona Beach, located on Scotland’s west coast. Photo: Amy Parker</div>
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<b>DESCRIBE THE PATH YOU TOOK TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW. </b></div>
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Looking back I wish I had studied marine biology. Instead, I went to Edinburgh University to train in education. After jobs in schools and community settings I started working in campaigning, but not in the conservation sector; I always felt that I wanted to do more to help the marine environment but wasn’t sure what to do. Then I started volunteering in my spare time with Marine Conservation Society as a Sea Champion. </div>
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For the last 5 years I have organised beach cleans, delivered workshops on marine pollution, taken part in citizen science costal surveys, campaigned on marine protection and finally feel like I am making a difference. I have also continued my education by taking the Delve Deeper distance learning marine biology course, conducting surveys as a citizen scientist, setting up a podcast called Sea Tales, and training as a Marine Medic with British Divers Marine Life Rescue. There are lots of different ways to get more involved in marine conservation and volunteering has a real impact. </div>
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Just one of many beach cleans that Amy has been apart of. Photo: Amy Parker</div>
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<b>TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION. YOU’VE SPENT YEARS LEADING BEACH CLEAN-UPS; HOW HAVE THEY BEEN RECEIVED BY LOCAL BEACH COMMUNITIES? </b></div>
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The <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/">Marine Conservation Society</a> (MCS) is a brilliant organisation. It’s the UK’s leading charity for protection of our seas, shores and wildlife and has been running beach cleans for over 25 years. I organized beach cleans at the south end (you always survey the same 100 meters each time) of Sand Bay in North Somerset for 3 years. Through beach cleans I’ve met hundreds of wonderful, dedicated volunteers, many who travelled for miles to get involved. </div>
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In my experience, the beach communities have been really pleased to get more help keeping their shorelines clean and raising awareness of the issues. It’s a never ending task now. The cleans also help research, as every piece of rubbish collected is logged. Each year, MCS releases a report on the findings. The information is also added to the global trash index for international research. An average of 600 items are found on every 100 meters surveyed. At Sand Bay we found between 200-400+ cotton bud sticks at each event (yuk, flushed down the loo). Hopefully legislation to ban plastic cotton bud sticks will help stop this! </div>
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A discarded fishing lure lies on top of a record sheet used to log rubbish collected on Sand Bay’s shoreline. Photo: Amy Parker </div>
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<b>HOW DO YOU HOPE YOUR VOICE AND WORK WILL INFLUENCE OTHERS? </b></div>
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I recently went to Scotland’s International Marine Conference. Lewis Pugh, endurance swimmer and ocean advocate, said that one of the things that struck him the most about his recent UK swim was the lack of wildlife. We are losing species and destroying marine habitats at such a fast pace, we have no choice but to act or it will be gone. </div>
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I hope I can help raise awareness that we are all connected to the marine environment, whether we live by it or in cities miles away, and we can all make small changes to help protect it. </div>
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Hunting for nurdles – small pellets used as raw material during the manufacturing of plastic products. Photo: Amy Parker</div>
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<b>YOU’VE RECENTLY STARTED SEA TALES. WHAT DROVE YOU TO LAUNCH YOUR OWN PODCAST? </b></div>
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I love podcasts but couldn’t find any specifically about the amazing marine species living in and visiting UK waters, so I started Sea Tales. Sea Tales is a monthly podcast that invites experts to talk about life under the waves around our coast. So far, we have discussed marine life rescues, Britain’s seahorses, seaweeds, sailing and ocean literacy and UK shark species. People have been so generous with their time – it feels like everyone wants to work together to make a difference. I even contacted Jennifer Stock, the host from my favourite marine podcast, Ocean Currents, and she was really helpful and supportive. </div>
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Photo: Amy Parker</div>
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<b>DO YOU HAVE A DREAM GUEST FOR THE SEA TALES PODCAST? </b></div>
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There are so many brilliant marine biologists and conservationists but I think it would have to be David Attenborough! I grew up watching him on TV and feel like he has inspired so many people to love the natural world. </div>
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<b>I UNDERSTAND YOU’RE IN THE MIDST OF TRANSITIONING TO A ZERO-WASTE LIFESTYLE. ARE THERE ANY TIPS YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS? </b></div>
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Do as much as you can. It is hard to be completely zero-waste, but reducing single-use plastics (items you use once then throw away) makes a massive difference! I like to think of the quote by social activist Howard Zinn: </div>
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“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” </div>
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Start with simple changes, such as: </div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Use a refillable water bottle and reusable coffee cup. It will become second nature quite quickly.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Download the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/refill/id1137588733?mt=8">Refill App</a> and find out where you can refill your water bottle for free. Loads of train stations have them now.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Find your local bulk supply shop and buy the foods, household cleaning and beauty products that you frequently use by bringing your own containers to fill.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Use your voice and vote with your money.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Refuse single use plastic like straws and bags.</li>
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It might feel a bit strange at first to bring your own containers and grocery bags, but even the conversation around why you are doing it helps get people talking and thinking about the issues. The mantra, ‘whales or plastic’ helps me focus on the real impact. </div>
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Some examples of Amy’s zero-waste efforts. Photo: Amy Parker </div>
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One of my favourite products is <a href="https://www.originalcork.com/">Original Cork flip flops</a>, made of completely natural materials. They give you a spring in your step without leaving behind microplastics from your soles! I find plastic flip flops on loads of the beach cleans and would love to see this change. </div>
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<b>WHOSE WORK HAS INFLUENCED AND INSPIRED YOU? </b></div>
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My granny loved nature and gave me The Young Green Consumer Guidewhen I was in primary school. It really started me thinking about how much damage we are causing the earth from an early age. That and Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. </div>
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More recently, I’ve been inspired by following Instagram posts on marine conservation, all the brilliant beach and litter pickers, those trying to lead zero waste lives and the youth movement on climate change. It’s great to see everyone using their voice to help inspire people to look after the environment, including you guys! <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cleanourpatch/">@cleanourpatch</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/citytosea_/">@citytosea_</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/pentwyn.pickers/">@Pentwyn.Pickers</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/youthstrike4climate/">@youthstrike4climate</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mediabymads/">@mediabymads</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emptythetanksworldwide/">@emptythetanksworldwide</a> are really powerful at highlighting cruelty to cetaceans in captivity for the entertainment business. We need this information taught in schools to help make this type of abuse a thing of the past. I never would have gone to SeaWorld as a kid if I knew the real story. </div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/plasticoceansuk/">@plasticoceansUK</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/exxpedition_/">@exxpedition_</a>highlight the human health impacts of plastic toxins, which is such an important message to get out there too. Our bodies are absorbing plastic, just like marine animals, and we don’t yet know the impact that it will have. </div>
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Plastics, among other litter, collected during a Sand Bay beach clean. Photo: Amy Parker</div>
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<b>IF SOMEONE WANTED TO START THEIR OWN SCIENCE OR EDUCATIONAL PODCAST, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM? </b></div>
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Just get started and don’t worry if it isn’t perfect. I am not very technical so I have a company to help with the editing, but I am trying to learn to do that myself this year. There are so many apps and software packages that can help. For example, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/">Sound Cloud</a> is really easy to use to get you started. I have loved creating Sea Talesand would be more than happy to chat with anyone about it. You can reach me via DM <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sea_tales__/">@sea_ tales__</a>on Instagram. </div>
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Into the Industry explores the lives and vocations of professionals, academics and those working in the marine biology world </div>
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<b>IF YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SEA TALES OR THE MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY, FOLLOW THEM ON INSTAGRAM <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sea_tales__/">@SEA_TALES__</a>AND <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mcs_uk/">@MCS_UK</a> </b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">IF YOU’VE ENJOYED READING THIS INTERVIEW, LOOK OUT FOR MORE INTO THE INDUSTRY ARTICLES FROM SHAWN AND FOLLOW HIM HERE<a href="https://www.instagram.com/shawnski13/"> @SHAWNSKI13</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/NegativesNancy">@NEGATIVESNANCY</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">It’s fantastic to see the enthusiasm and passion our Sea Champions have and the variety of ways that people can raise awareness of the impact marine litter has on our oceans! Visit our website to find out more about how you can get involved in our work:- <a href="http://www.mcsuk.org/">www.mcsuk.org</a></span></div>
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Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-8091975560520551222019-07-17T08:07:00.000-07:002019-07-17T08:07:12.328-07:00Beach clean with Smidge<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Marine Conservation Society (MCS) recently teamed up with new corporate supporters <a href="http://www.wearesmidge.com/" target="_blank">Smidge</a> to carry out a beach clean on Sand Bay Beach. The day was a great success, lots of fun was had by all involved, and staff members at Smidge learned more about the impact of ocean pollution on the UK coastline. Smidge shared their experience of being involved in a beach clean and what they learned. </b><br /><br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>What is a beach clean-up and why are they important? </b></span><br />A beach clean-up is an activity, normally organised and carried out by volunteers, that aims at <b>cleaning a beach</b> or a section of it <b>from all sorts of beach litter</b> (mainly plastic, but not only!). <br /><br />The collection of trash makes the coast a cleaner and safer place for beachgoers as well as facilitating marine conservation. While this is not an ocean pollution solution in itself, it helps keep our coasts clean and preserve our seas’ ecosystems as a result. </span><br />
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<b style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some beach and ocean pollution facts… </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The trash and plastic on the beach are a direct result of <b>two possible causes</b>: they either come from the sea and get washed up during the tides or are the direct result of littering on the beach by people who visit the coast. Either way, this is a reflection of how much plastic waste is affecting our environment and how big a problem plastic pollution is. <br /><br />Among the litter polluting our beaches, some of the most common items are: cigarette butts, plastic bottles, bottle caps, food wrappers, foam take away containers, plastic bags, plastic lids, straws, stirrers, glass bottles, cotton buds, wet wipes, balloons. Sadly, most of these are <b>made of single-use plastic</b> and a lot of them <b>cannot be recycled</b>. <br /><br />Recycling charity Recoup estimate consumers in the UK go through <b>13 billion plastic drink bottles every year</b>, a lot of which go to waste. During the 2018 Great British Beach Clean by the Marine Conservation Society, an average of 16 drink bottles and cans were found for every 100m stretch of beach surveyed. Despite plastic being a convenient material thanks to its durable and lightweight nature, its these exact characteristics that make it a threat to our environment – plastic can stick around for literally <b>hundreds of years</b> before biodegrading. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />As some areas of our oceans currently contain <b>6 times more microplastics than plankton</b> and countless marine species are endangered, we are happy to see that things are – slowly but surely – changing for the better! Did you know that MCS have recorded a <b>47% decrease in plastic bags on UK beaches</b> since the government introduced the plastic bag charge measure in 2011? Also, <b>microbeads have recently been banned</b> in wash-off cosmetics, whoop! And are you following <b>the news</b> around #WarOnPlastic, #OurPlasticFeedback, #RefillRevolution and #PlasticChallenge? As we look at the possibility of our seas having more plastic than fish by 2050, <b>we are optimistic</b> that all the attention generated by the public and the media will lead to concrete actions that reduce plastic pollution (not only plastic in the ocean but also on land) as well as have a positive impact on our day-to-day relationship with single-use plastic! <br /><br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Our beach clean experience with the Marine Conservation Society </b></span><br />Here at Smidge we believe it takes a little thing to make a big difference. As we know we cannot single-handily solve the world’s single-use plastic issue, our aim is to <b>encourage little day-to-day changes</b> which promote an eco-friendly (as well as stylish and practical) lifestyle. With Plastic Free July around the corner, we couldn’t think of a better way for our team to get down-and-dirty (or shall we say down-and-clean) than a beach cleanup day with the Marine Conservation Society. <br /><br />We woke up to a miserable, rainy day… yeiii, not! But our spirits were not defeated… we had our hearts set on <b>cleaning Sand Bay Beach</b> in the South West of England and were ready to take up the challenge no matter the weather. As Lizzie and Caroline from MCS met us at the beach and we set up the gazebo, the weather luckily cleared up a bit and, although still being well aware we were not on a tropical beach, the rest of the day was dry and that was good enough for us!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After a brief introduction and having split up into teams of 4 or 5, we all grabbed the cleaning equipment kindly provided by MCS (litter picker sticks, gloves, bags) and headed off to the selected 100m of beach to be cleaned during the morning. Here’s a ‘fun’ fact for you: MCS organise beach clean activities 4 times a year to pick litter in this same strip of beach; they do so to keep<b> record of all the rubbish items</b> they find and in what quantities. They then use this data to inform our local and national governmental bodies, but also to undertake specific campaigns that <b>target the more harmful and widespread items of trash</b>! Every trimester, when a beach clean is carried out at Sand Bay Beach, kilos and kilos of new plastic litter and other kinds of rubbish are collected from the beach. <br /><br />As the teams worked through the beach meter by meter, we recorded every single piece of waste we found and bagged. Among the most common finds: plastic wrappers, pieces of foam containers, plastic bags, cotton bud sticks, plastic lids, plastic bottles and cans, rubber items, sanitary waste, glass bottles… for a total of <b>1302 litter items (25kg) in just 100 meters of beach</b> – and that was just in the morning! If you are interested in learning the details, here is a really interesting summary provided by MCS with the stats of what we found: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After lunch, a very interesting quiz picked our brains on plastic waste, recent positive changes which are having a great impact on reducing plastics as well as amazing activities and achievements by MCS. Do you know the answer to the question Lizzie asked to proclaim a quiz winner – how many species of turtles exist on earth? Read on if you’d like to find out the answer… <br /><br />The afternoon saw us do some free-style beach cleaning, which brought the <b>total litter count up to 66kg</b>! We never thought litter picking could be <b>so rewarding</b>. Leaving Sand Bay as a clean beach was such a great feeling. This day provided us with an opportunity to see with our very own eyes how much plastic pollution affects our surroundings as well as how big a difference we can make by getting involved. This experience has brought our enthusiasm to a whole new level and we came home knowing that our efforts as a team are going in the right direction. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: purple;">Our tips for a fully enjoyable beach clean experience </span></b><br /><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">What to wear and bring</b><br />As you will have gathered by reading the above, you need to be ready for any kind of weather: if it rains, you’ll need raincoats, wellies, hats, waterproof backpacks. Also, you’ll need to be very careful as rocky beaches become really slippery when wet. If it’s sunny, don’t forget sun block, hats, sunglasses and a reusable water bottle to keep hydrated (have a look at our <a href="https://www.wearesmidge.com/items/bottles">Smidge water bottles</a> if you still haven’t got one). Regardless of how lucky you are with the weather, make sure you wear comfortable clothes and shoes/flip flops, so you can happily hop around. <br /><br /><b><u>Beach clean tools</u> </b><br />In terms of tools that will make your life easier, big garden bags to collect litter are great as they are sturdy and won’t end up breaking while you are enthusiastically cleaning. Also, gloves are a must – some of the litter you’ll find can be sharp (e.g. pieces of glass, cans) or not very clean (sanitary items, needles), so it’s best to wear protective gloves at all times. Litter pickers are a great bonus: while they are not strictly necessary to carry out a beach clean, they can be of great help as they prevent you from having to bend down every other second. <br /><br /><b><u>Beach clean stats and data</u> </b><br />By working with MCS, we realised that keeping a record of what you find is not essential, but can be really valuable for marine conservation and coastal conservation research. By performing a quick search, we’ve found some apps that help you keep track and even allow you to share your findings on social media. While we haven’t tried them ourselves yet, we think it’s a great idea to help raise awareness and show off your efforts. </span></div>
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<b style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I want to get involved, where can I start? And how do I organise a beach clean? </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This of course varies massively depending on weather it’s you and a couple of friends setting off to the beach to get some fresh air, a nice swim and collect some plastic waste for the greater good, or you’re trying to organise a team building activity for your company. <br /><br />If the main goal is an <b>enjoyable day out at the beach</b> with your family and friends and the number of participants is small, you can of course plan this yourself. No action is too little! Just refer to the tips above if you are unsure as to what you will need to make sure you leave a clean beach behind and come home without a cold or a sunstroke. <br /><br />If on top of the above, you’d also like to <b>meet new, like-minded people</b>, there are several organisations and volunteer groups who meet regularly to clean together. These activities are a lot of fun and can be great both if you are beach-clean virgin as well as if you are a more experienced and weathered beach cleaner. You can <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/">find local beach clean events on the Marine Conservation Society website here</a>. Also, the 2019 Great British Beach Clean is coming soon – September 20th-23rd. At <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/greatbritishbeachclean">this link you will find information on scheduled local beach cleans near you</a> as well as details on how you can plan your own beach clean event. <br /><br />For companies wanting to organise <b>team building activities</b> and promote team days out, or even just seeking to help a bit in reducing plastic pollution, we strongly recommend getting in touch with the <b>Marine Conservation Society</b>, who can help you plan the day and will bring to the table much more than just kit and equipment – enthusiasm, passion as well as a wealth of knowledge in marine conservation and ocean pollution are just the first 3 things that come to mind! </span></div>
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<br />If a beach clean is not really your thing (no judging here, to each their own!), there are plenty of other ways you can get involved. You can donate to MCS, help them fundraise, become a sea champion (this one sounds so cool, right?!) and lots more – <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/how-you-can-help/">find details on all the ways you can get involved here</a>. Also, did you know that with each purchase from our Smidge Natural Collection, 10p are donated to the Marine Conservation Society to help clean our seas and carry out all the fantastic activities that make our oceans and their inhabitants a little healthier and a little happier. You can <a href="https://www.wearesmidge.com/collections/100-natural">shop the Smidge Natural Collection here</a>. <br /><br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>We’d love to hear from you… </b></span><br />Feel free to get in touch on social if you’d like to know more about what we do, our beach clean experience and our cooperation with MCS, or if you’d like to share your own beach clean memories and pictures. <br /><br />Oh, and we almost forgot… the number of turtle species in the world is 7. Did you guess right? :) <br /><br /><br /><b>If you would like to find out more about getting involved in a beach clean, or running one yourself, please visit our website</b> - <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/">www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch</a></div>
Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-86319264020310175342019-05-31T03:05:00.000-07:002019-05-31T03:05:31.182-07:00From Beachwatch to Don't Let Go<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<b>Sea Champion Andy has been organising beach cleans for MCS for a number of years now and he was becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of balloon litter he was finding so he decided to do something about it.</b><br />
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"I got involved in the Don’t Let Go campaign through my initial work as a Beachwatch organiser. I have been running Beachwatch events since 2012 and have frequently found evidence of balloons and sky lanterns during these events. I have run over 20 separate Beachwatch events since 2012 at a number of different locations in local to me.<br />
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I decided to get involved in this campaign for two reasons. Firstly to raise awareness locally about the dangers to the environment from balloons and sky lanterns being released. Secondly to do what seemed to be impossible at the time, get a ban introduced by my local Council to stop any balloon and sky lantern releases on land they owned. </div>
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Sea Champion Andy running a beach clean</div>
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I had managed to meet a number of local Councillors through running Beachwatch events, some of whom had previously attended my beach cleans. To get a ban introduced, I first contacted these local councillors I had met. I had to be quite persistent phoning or emailing every week then after a few weeks of being passed around to various Councillors and Council officials, eventually I was put in touch with a local Councillor called Diane. Diane luckily is a very passionate, environmentally aware Councillor and she agreed to help. <br />
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We met up and discussed the campaign and she agreed to support me in trying to get a ban introduced in the Sefton Metropolitan Borough area. After a further few weeks of intermittent contact, Diane informed me that she had prepared a motion that would go before the next available full Council meeting. <br />
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Following the meeting on April 24th, I received the awesome news that the motion had been passed unanimously. This means that Sefton council will be introducing a ban on both balloon and sky lantern releases on council owned land as soon as possible.<br />
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My advice to anyone wanting to get involved in this campaign, just do it and <i>don’t let go</i> of the idea of getting them banned in your area. Just be determined and persistent and you will get there." </div>
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<b>Fantastic work Andy! If you'd like to find out more about our Don't Let Go campaign then visit our website - <a href="http://mcsuk.org/dontletgo">mcsuk.org/dontletgo</a>. </b></div>
Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-83618292154961280602018-11-22T03:26:00.000-08:002018-11-22T03:26:32.825-08:00Ringed birds on our beaches - How you can help<br />
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<b>Office Sea Champion Viv Philips has been volunteering with MCS for over 7 years! Each year she helps us to coordinate and distribute 150K Pocket Good Fish Guides and she is instrumental in helping identify and contact chefs/recipe contributors for our Fish of the Month recipes project. Viv is an ecologist by trade and is a passionate and experienced ornithologist . She got to thinking about our volunteers out on the beaches and how they may come across dead birds that are ringed but not know what to do so she's shared just how important it is to report any ringed birds you find and how to go about it.</b><br />
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"I was brought up by the sea and in my career as an ecologist had some wonderful jobs on offshore islands. I trained as a bird ringer in the early 1970s and was involved in seabird studies in the UK and abroad. It was great fun scrabbling about on cliffs and seeing beautiful seabirds and their chicks close-up. It also felt very worthwhile as the results from recaptured or found dead, ringed birds gave so much vital insight into where the birds go, their survival and population trends.<br />
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Having retired I now volunteer for The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) in the Ross-on-Wye office one day a week. I seem to have settled a long way from the sea but working with the inspiring MCS team keeps me in touch. Bringing some of my previous experience with me I would like to urge everyone who is out and about on the seashore to look for rings on dead birds and pass on the information. It is always sad to find a dead animal but there can be a lot to learn from some of these which in turn can help in their conservation. <br />
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<b>About bird ringing </b></div>
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The British and Irish Ringing Scheme is run by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Over 900,000 birds are ringed in Britain and Ireland each year by over 2,600 trained ringers, most of whom are volunteers. Ringing generates information on the survival, productivity and movements of birds, helping us to understand why populations are changing - questions that are vital to answer for bird conservation. <br />
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Placing a lightweight, uniquely numbered, metal ring around a bird’s leg provides a reliable and harmless method of identifying birds as individuals.<br />
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<i>Examples of a British and a foreign ring taken from dead gulls</i></div>
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<br />
Although there has been bird ringing in Britain and Ireland for over 100 years, we are still discovering new facts about migration routes and wintering areas. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Amazing facts – some birds can live almost as long as humans! </b><br />
<br />
<div>
Very few wild birds reach anything like their maximum potential age as there are too many factors working against them – predators, accidents, weather, disease, starvation and plain bad luck. Even so, the top five longevities are staggering. </div>
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<table border="1" class="Table TableWordWrap SCXW147327879" data-tablelook="1696" data-tablestyle="MsoTableGrid" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-collapse: collapse; empty-cells: show; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; table-layout: fixed; width: 625px;"><tbody class="SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{80}" paraid="1573273500" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Species</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" role="columnheader" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{87}" paraid="533325500" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Age</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" role="columnheader" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{94}" paraid="2117328051" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Origin</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr class="TableRow TableRowSelected SCXW147327879" role="row" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" role="rowheader" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{102}" paraid="1305089470" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Manx Shearwater</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{109}" paraid="173592028" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">51 years</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{116}" paraid="632052653" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position-x: left; background-position-y: bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Bardsey</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Bird Observatory</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr class="TableRow TableRowSelected SCXW147327879" role="row" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" role="rowheader" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{126}" paraid="800653683" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Razorbill</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{133}" paraid="800504918" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">42 years</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{140}" paraid="1536603701" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position-x: left; background-position-y: bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Bardsey</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Bird Observatory</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr class="TableRow TableRowSelected SCXW147327879" role="row" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" role="rowheader" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{150}" paraid="189175250" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Fulmar</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{157}" paraid="1918272568" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">41 years</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{164}" paraid="158923303" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position-x: left; background-position-y: bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Eynhallow</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">, Orkney</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr class="TableRow TableRowSelected SCXW147327879" role="row" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" role="rowheader" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{174}" paraid="321242350" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Oystercatcher</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{181}" paraid="1342633910" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">40 years</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{188}" paraid="1102295215" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Lincolnshire</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr class="TableRow TableRowSelected SCXW147327879" role="row" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" role="rowheader" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{196}" paraid="1784020815" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Pink-footed Goose</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{203}" paraid="424873767" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">39 years</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td><td class="SCXW147327879" data-celllook="0" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 207px;"><div class="TableCellContent SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(198, 198, 198, 0.7); margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" paraeid="{5dd063d2-2262-40ec-ae08-dd5826c726e4}{210}" paraid="1485116806" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW147327879" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3b3838; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/gif; background-position-x: left; background-position-y: bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Tayside</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW147327879" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":2,"335551620":2,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.5px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW147327879" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: both; color: black; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-size: 12px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW147327879" lang="EN-GB" paraeid="{1c98d389-45d8-428b-aa74-418202f0d779}{143}" paraid="1108828914" style="-ms-touch-select: none; -ms-user-select: text; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-GB">
<i>Longevity records</i></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="SCXW247520718">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><i></i><br />
These longevity records are even more remarkable when you consider the vast distances these birds will have covered in their lifetimes. The 51 year old Manx Shearwater from west Wales (seen left at the tender age of 48) will have spent 51 winters off the coast of southern Argentina, covering 1.5 million kilometres just getting there and back! </div>
<div class="SCXW247520718">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="SCXW247520718">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="SCXW247520718">
<b>How you can help </b></div>
<div class="SCXW247520718">
<br />
If you’re out and about at the seaside whether it be for a beach clean or a leisurely stroll, and you come across a dead bird, please have a quick look to see if it is ringed and if it is, report it to the BTO. </div>
<div class="SCXW247520718">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="SCXW247520718">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="SCXW247520718">
<b>How to report a ringed bird </b></div>
<div class="SCXW247520718">
<br />
The information required is: </div>
<div class="SCXW247520718">
<ul>
<li>The unique number on the ring (and country of origin if not a British ring) </li>
<li>The date found </li>
<li>The location where found (beach name, nearest town/village, county etc) </li>
<li>Species if known </li>
<li>A photograph can be useful </li>
<li>Your contact details </li>
</ul>
<div>
Please report the information using the <a href="https://app.bto.org/euring/lang/pages/rings.jsp" target="_blank">Euring website</a>. Alternatively you can send the information to the Ringing Office, BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU. </div>
<div>
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<div>
For each ring number reported, the finder receives notification of what it was and where and when it was ringed. It doesn’t matter if you don't recognise what species the bird is, the unique number together with where and when you found it gives vital information." </div>
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<b>A big thanks to Viv for sharing her knowledge about bird ringing. More information about the BTO’s ringing scheme can be found on their website here: </b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/ringing/about" target="_blank">www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/ringing/about</a></b></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-3569931456365327452018-07-31T03:46:00.000-07:002018-07-31T03:47:33.228-07:00Ocean Literacy for disabled children - take two!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRU5uM81YykmCu3_qR4hadsH53HuFFmkWwFYg0t-Wmpk5WusiwWtn6UY8M2PRHGv6hTyO94Tq7i9-HPHz4RAhPur2RHnklFKcuqRgNykOq9kRpNHhojgEdUBaiGzZK8wAeMyZ2twEKBuw/s1600/Tectona.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRU5uM81YykmCu3_qR4hadsH53HuFFmkWwFYg0t-Wmpk5WusiwWtn6UY8M2PRHGv6hTyO94Tq7i9-HPHz4RAhPur2RHnklFKcuqRgNykOq9kRpNHhojgEdUBaiGzZK8wAeMyZ2twEKBuw/s640/Tectona.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pegasus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>A couple of years ago John an MCS Sea Champion and education volunteer shared a post about fostering Ocean Literacy in disabled children through sailing in the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter, Cornubia. The post (read <a href="http://seachampions.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/ocean-literacy-for-disabled-children-in.html">here</a>) described taking them out for a day sailing in the River Tamar and in Plymouth Sound looking at the wildlife on and under the pontoons at Mayflower Marina. Now John is back with a different boat but the work is more important than ever. </b><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
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Since my last post, the big change is that Cornubia has gone to the East Coast, and the sailing trips are now done in The Island Trust’s traditionally rigged boats, Pegasus (Pegasus.jpg) or Tectona (Tectona.jpg) based in Plymouth Yacht Haven. The children come from the same schools, the programme on board is virtually identical, and I transferred from one charity to the other to deliver it. It was important to reassure the providing schools that a different charity using different boats was able to deliver what they had come to expect. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tectona</td></tr>
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In the longer term, in order to continue to get existing and additional schools’ participation and funding from previous and new grant-giving charities we would need to be able to prove that were doing at least as well as in Cornubia. So it was a good thing that we had set up a performance measurement system in 2013 and were able to transfer it from one organisation to the other. It is less comprehensive and complex than the system The Island Trust uses for their usual residential trips, but they immediately saw the advantage of being able to compare like with like and were happy to use what is a very simple feedback mechanism.<br />
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We wanted a system independent of things outside the control of the children and their carers. So using the scores in our guide would only have worked if we could see pretty much the same things on each trip, which we couldn’t. And we wanted the same system for all levels of ability. What we have is based on the “Full Value” model, set out in “True Colours – Uncovering the full value of your organisation.” See <a href="https://www.ncvo.org.uk/component/redshop/1-publications/P67-true-colours">https://www.ncvo.org.uk/component/redshop/1-publications/P67-true-colours</a>. <br />
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There are four elements of full value:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Primary Outcomes</li>
<li>Secondary Outcomes</li>
<li>Primary Satisfaction</li>
<li>Secondary Satisfaction</li>
</ul>
<div>
We define our primary stakeholders as the children themselves, and although the potential range of secondary stakeholders is huge, we limit it to the parents, teachers, teaching assistants or carers who come on board with the children. That way we can measure the elements in the same way and on the day. The outcome for both is learning: do they know more after the trip than before. And satisfaction is “did they enjoy it?”</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbgJsBckotykXn8Ag3pT0yhzB5nlRtiYS-psl5TbQWGPCMC5ZhZPwugezZws-HlFuIVXgDWyg2vcV7oNREuAELKVz9u9xI5jn5qgFbesJG-x7cYUjH8Mpu2apydniOYzMvHEKd9x_ajg/s1600/Life+Beneath+The+Keel+-+a+settlement+plate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbgJsBckotykXn8Ag3pT0yhzB5nlRtiYS-psl5TbQWGPCMC5ZhZPwugezZws-HlFuIVXgDWyg2vcV7oNREuAELKVz9u9xI5jn5qgFbesJG-x7cYUjH8Mpu2apydniOYzMvHEKd9x_ajg/s640/Life+Beneath+The+Keel+-+a+settlement+plate.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life beneath the keel - a settlement plate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
At the start of the day, once we’ve got them on the pontoon and close to the boat, but before I start telling them about “Life Beneath The Keel,” we ask the children and their carers to rate how much they think they know about the marine environment and maritime activities on a scale of 1 - 9. They remember this number and once on board they tick the appropriate box on the front of the feedback form. At the end of the day, using the back of the form we ask the same question. We also ask them whether they enjoyed their day using a smiley, neutral or frowning face and for a few words on what they think they got out of it. </div>
</div>
<br />
To report on the full year’s outcomes I average the before and after scores. The disadvantage of this is that it hides the really valuable learning outcome of discovering you don’t know as much as you thought you did, so the second score is lower than the first – and it does happen. It also fails to capture those who rate their new level of knowledge as 10/9 – as 4 children from one school did.<br />
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As the numerical assessments in the table below show, there were improvements in outcomes, secondary satisfaction stayed at 100% and there was a slight drop in primary satisfaction (fewer children enjoyed their day) mostly due to failures to record their views.<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Summary of performance monitoring
statistics</span></u></b></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Outcomes
– Averages of levels of knowledge</span></u></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Knowledge
(1-9)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Marine - pre<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Maritime - pre<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Marine - post<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Maritime - post</span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2013</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Children (n=80)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.84<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.69<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.49<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.25</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Adults (n=55)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.85<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>5.05<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.87<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.60</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2014</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Children (n=62)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.02<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>3.90<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.13<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.07</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Adults (n=39)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.72<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.95<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.85<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.72</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Children (n=97)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.37<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>3.24<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.29<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.31</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Adults (n=47)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>5.14<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>5.38<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>7.05<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>7.13</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">2016</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Children (n=119)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.31<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.28<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.24<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.44</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Adults (n=54)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.73<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.92<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.77<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.88</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">2017</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Children (n=100)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.74<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.50<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.78<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6.67</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Adults (n=38)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4.67<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>5.23<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>7.20<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>7.00</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Satisfaction</span></u></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2013</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Children<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>100</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Adults<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>
100</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2014 </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Children<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>97</span><a href="https://marineconservation-my.sharepoint.com/personal/natasha_ewins_mcsuk_org/Documents/SEA%20CHAMPIONS%20SHARED%20FOLDER/Comms%20&amp;%20Media/Blog%20posts/John%20Hepburn%20-%20Importance%20of%20feedback/John%20Hepburn%20-%20Ocean%20Literacy%20in%20The%20Island%20Trust.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: blue;">[1]</span></span></span></span></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Adults<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>100</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2015</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Children<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>96</span><a href="https://marineconservation-my.sharepoint.com/personal/natasha_ewins_mcsuk_org/Documents/SEA%20CHAMPIONS%20SHARED%20FOLDER/Comms%20&amp;%20Media/Blog%20posts/John%20Hepburn%20-%20Importance%20of%20feedback/John%20Hepburn%20-%20Ocean%20Literacy%20in%20The%20Island%20Trust.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: blue;">[2]</span></span></span></span></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Adults<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>100</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2016 </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Children<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>97</span><a href="https://marineconservation-my.sharepoint.com/personal/natasha_ewins_mcsuk_org/Documents/SEA%20CHAMPIONS%20SHARED%20FOLDER/Comms%20&amp;%20Media/Blog%20posts/John%20Hepburn%20-%20Importance%20of%20feedback/John%20Hepburn%20-%20Ocean%20Literacy%20in%20The%20Island%20Trust.docx#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: blue;">[3]</span></span></span></span></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Adults<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>100</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2017</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Children<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>93</span><a href="https://marineconservation-my.sharepoint.com/personal/natasha_ewins_mcsuk_org/Documents/SEA%20CHAMPIONS%20SHARED%20FOLDER/Comms%20&amp;%20Media/Blog%20posts/John%20Hepburn%20-%20Importance%20of%20feedback/John%20Hepburn%20-%20Ocean%20Literacy%20in%20The%20Island%20Trust.docx#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: blue;">[4]</span></span></span></span></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Adults<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>100</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
We started doing this in Cornubia in 2010 and took over 650 children their carers, teachers or parents. In 2017 in Tectona we helped over 100 more to see the sea differently. <br />
<br />
So we must be getting something right. Narrative comments bear this out. Rhiannon, from Plymstock school, said, “I enjoyed it all. I now know why the seaweed is a different colour. It was amazing.” What did Anne-Marie, a teaching assistant from Pencalenick school think her charges had got out of their day? “Team building. Lots of knowledge about the sea. The students grew in confidence and it was nice to see them interacting with each other when they don't usually choose to at school. A great day, thank you.” The mother of one of the students commented via the website, “My son George has just taken part on a day’s sailing on board the 'Tectona'. He is 16 and has high functioning autism. He came back absolutely full of passion and excitement after today. So lovely to see as he doesn't get involved in many activities due to his anxiety.” <br />
<br />
We know some teachers follow up in the classroom what their students have learnt on board, but it’s very difficult to get a handle on this. I’ve offered some of the teachers a “Cool Seas” session, but in spite of enthusiasm on the day, none of them has come back suggesting a date. More work needed there, I think. However, on a couple of occasions when it was too windy to go to sea, I had a copy of the “Aliens of the Deep” presentation on my laptop so I could run the activity and the learners were able to design their own aliens on the blank page in the guide.<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91UZVPlwfUraQzm0u8vry4LTeW1n7RzPP5VSO6OAX_FAjg_JS_Je_X-_ZJKZ7PboGjCpVNMGVRkbIRUj9K5PrXeJJ2CuvdSXVbVGPwykAmrQWIOeSX3qmE-BLJRqWxW5rCbTN4QvGqgQ/s1600/20171011+-+06c+-+Plymstock+-+Aliens+of+the+Deep.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91UZVPlwfUraQzm0u8vry4LTeW1n7RzPP5VSO6OAX_FAjg_JS_Je_X-_ZJKZ7PboGjCpVNMGVRkbIRUj9K5PrXeJJ2CuvdSXVbVGPwykAmrQWIOeSX3qmE-BLJRqWxW5rCbTN4QvGqgQ/s640/20171011+-+06c+-+Plymstock+-+Aliens+of+the+Deep.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plymstock school's Aliens of the Deep</td></tr>
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The Island Trust is a bigger charity, and has a head of fund raising, but I still help applying for grants for these trips. In the first year, 2017 we called the project, “The Cornubia Legacy,” but now, rather than look backwards, it is “Ocean Discoverability.” A big change for me was that I became responsible for programming all the trips 2017, keeping the old schools in the scheme and looking for new ones to join and scheduling them. Herding cats! The swing to that roundabout was that with The Island Trust boats having permanent crew I was no longer first mate, which freed me up to look after the educational element of the day more, and to talk to the teachers about ways of improving it. They do let me pull the occasional rope.<br />
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Part of what made the Cornubia trips different to other sailing trips was the marine biology element, and with the transfer of the microscope, TV etc, this too continued. The marine life growing on the pontoons at Plymouth Yacht Haven is not as rich as it is at Mayflower Marina, but there were always enough mussels to show barnacles, keel worms and sea mat feeding<span style="font-family: "calibri";">, </span>and types of sea weeds to demonstrate their variety of form and colour. <span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgECdjt2NjEDkzHHt7cyFJJR9w65XEu3L8F6Gm7TQsvaKecU3F3kH26tCXWHEv8WGAOZfhdM07HwK6-luWrL3f9cycOWBqJiM2ykV7CbwEWZm11W2wpHb45L44S1wD_LOnzkN0jin_vfI/s1600/20171014+-+00a+-+Horizons+-+Sea+mat+feeding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgECdjt2NjEDkzHHt7cyFJJR9w65XEu3L8F6Gm7TQsvaKecU3F3kH26tCXWHEv8WGAOZfhdM07HwK6-luWrL3f9cycOWBqJiM2ykV7CbwEWZm11W2wpHb45L44S1wD_LOnzkN0jin_vfI/s640/20171014+-+00a+-+Horizons+-+Sea+mat+feeding.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea mat feeding</td></tr>
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The baited recoverable underwater video (BRUV) showed life on the seabed there. Unlike at Mayflower there are always shore crabs, and seeing them squabbling over the bait is a huge hit. We were all quite excited by the battle between a large velvet swimming crab, with big sharp claws, and a smaller shore crab, especially as the smaller crab won, to be joined by all the other shore crabs, who then did what they do best, squabbling over the bait.<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span>(Video at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtqV3B1NAGc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtqV3B1NAGc<span style="color: #b00000; font-family: "calibri";">)</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> . </span></span>Trawling for plankton and looking at it under the microscope is just as popular and helps with mobility and team work as well as having educational value. <span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1mBsuOdggZ5VsiSBHqVMVtHKOxnC0pMSqGKsjqDs4V0PXKL6-LI_cO3e_3pN4Jo8orc3TfNG6mJwH_WTZWzPZdkzY2wBOtv66RhHX3om4Ih2rOIGsi0-Uwxqo-05otaS1d8ijDb5nL8/s1600/20180610+-+Shore+crab+takes+on+Velvet+swimmer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="930" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1mBsuOdggZ5VsiSBHqVMVtHKOxnC0pMSqGKsjqDs4V0PXKL6-LI_cO3e_3pN4Jo8orc3TfNG6mJwH_WTZWzPZdkzY2wBOtv66RhHX3om4Ih2rOIGsi0-Uwxqo-05otaS1d8ijDb5nL8/s640/20180610+-+Shore+crab+takes+on+Velvet+swimmer.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shore crab takes on velvet swimming crab</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vertical plankon trawl</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLJ4VNjpG__94FJ9K0X8QPYOPMozUTKWg302p8tP_hgAKod5-RL-i48zM4_5320dceJgG4M2WCHQG-pSCbc41spfexnvcE-gr9XwoVwRnNXWwJhCTs0oQp3RIbPaGKT4TRAlRf9bbq8s/s1600/20171004+-+20+-+Brook+Green+-+Coscinodiscus+sp.+prob+wailesii%252C+a+diatom+%2526+Shrimp+larva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLJ4VNjpG__94FJ9K0X8QPYOPMozUTKWg302p8tP_hgAKod5-RL-i48zM4_5320dceJgG4M2WCHQG-pSCbc41spfexnvcE-gr9XwoVwRnNXWwJhCTs0oQp3RIbPaGKT4TRAlRf9bbq8s/s640/20171004+-+20+-+Brook+Green+-+Coscinodiscus+sp.+prob+wailesii%252C+a+diatom+%2526+Shrimp+larva.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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Coscinodiscus sp. prob wailesii, a diatrom & shrimp larva</div>
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That it works, and is transferrable is, I think, now clear. So, at the SW Marine Ecosystem Conference this year I presented on the opportunity that Sail Training presents for promoting Ocean Literacy. I hope this will kick off a process aimed at providing sail trainers with a tool kit of activities they can fit into their voyage plans which will add further value to the experience they are giving the young people that sail with them. There might even be a role for Sea Champions. Wouldn’t it be great if we could show more recreational sea users how amazing the marine environment is?<br />
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Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-33152123474490278102018-04-28T02:24:00.000-07:002018-04-28T02:24:16.627-07:00Taking Marine Conservation into the Classroom<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RYuBZfku84PfXdJAgHr7B2y8IGQuSoBLCcaE6hV3L7TpLf-f3DSO4_4zSJvuuPrye08Pfnx-X-KrMC91ardggLD98G91-aqbGyAme3HKPEJXzG-3y2m9wEx9G4L41B5YKGnFQ90rw7U/s1600/IMG_7199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RYuBZfku84PfXdJAgHr7B2y8IGQuSoBLCcaE6hV3L7TpLf-f3DSO4_4zSJvuuPrye08Pfnx-X-KrMC91ardggLD98G91-aqbGyAme3HKPEJXzG-3y2m9wEx9G4L41B5YKGnFQ90rw7U/s1600/IMG_7199.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Champion Fiona showing the class her diving equipment</td></tr>
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<b>Sea Champion Fiona is an avid marine conservationist and diver and was really keen to share some important messages with the younger generation. With the buzz of Blue Planet 2 putting the topic of plastic pollution on everyone's mind she decided to take this opportunity to visit a local junior school and share the marine conservation love. </b><br />
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Just as most people were gearing up for Christmas on a cold November morning, I went into Drayton Junior School to talk to two groups of children all about the polar regions and man’s impact on them. I saw this as an ideal opportunity to engage youngsters on the very current issues of marine litter and plastics and what they can do to help. <br />
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I ran through information on the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions, the similarities and differences and some of the animals that live there. I then went through some of the incredible adaptations they have acquired to enable them to survive in such harsh environments. I showed them short videos and played some sounds of icebergs creaking and cracking. I then went on to demonstrate that in such remote regions man’s impact is still evident as marine litter has been found in all areas of the globe. <br />
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I described what marine litter is, where most of it comes from and what the impacts of the litter are to our environment and wildlife, especially plastics. Most importantly I then explained to them what they can do to help reduce the problem. I then finished off with a wonderful animated video that illustrates the problem perfectly without being too hard hitting and they were transfixed. <br />
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Both groups were so well behaved and listened very intently (apart from a windy young lad in the front row of the first group and his friends with the giggles… I must admit I found it hard not to laugh too!) They answered all the questions so enthusiastically and were very knowledgeable which was brilliant and at the end I had some great questions and observations which really demonstrated that they had been listening.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After Fiona's session the teacher ran a competition to design a poster on the polar region and man's impact on them</td></tr>
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I finished off the session by showing them my dive kit and explained how it is used in my work – to gather survey data to assess the condition of the designated sites of the marine environment and also assess man’s impact on them. Some of them volunteered to try breathing off the twin set regulators with a mask, but sadly time ran out so further students opted to come back during break time and have a go which was encouraging. However the bell went off all too quickly just like my school days and it was time to go.<br />
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All in all it was a very enjoyable experience and I really felt they had absorbed what I’d said. Fingers crossed there may be some future conservationists or marine biologists amongst them. It was a very satisfying day and if anyone is considering doing some volunteer environmental education in schools, then I would encourage it wholeheartedly. It’s a really positive experience for all involved. <br />
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Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-16151489560913537422018-03-20T04:06:00.001-07:002018-03-20T04:06:36.933-07:00Hooked on volunteering - what else can I do?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7AFlQlY6COIpQVs8IRj2dj0wN7BpsH0U8iiAWq-3tu5kMeN5Oy8oBA-UJ8bAioQMMZQRS6uUK2aDNxecZrZmNocCsMCJufDTq6jChi0rzPd6atM9XK4a9z_-Y5F6dE7G_bbMxxnT3mQ/s1600/29257687_2071866506360811_8347609903776115451_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7AFlQlY6COIpQVs8IRj2dj0wN7BpsH0U8iiAWq-3tu5kMeN5Oy8oBA-UJ8bAioQMMZQRS6uUK2aDNxecZrZmNocCsMCJufDTq6jChi0rzPd6atM9XK4a9z_-Y5F6dE7G_bbMxxnT3mQ/s640/29257687_2071866506360811_8347609903776115451_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelle on the beach with a group of volunteers after a beach clean</td></tr>
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<b>When people come and volunteer with us at the Marine Conservation Society there are many different ways they can get started. They may begin by organising a beach clean or doing Seasearch dives, doing some community fundraising or surveying the shoreline for our CoCoast project. So many of our volunteers get hooked on marine conservation and want to do more. That was the case for Sea Champion Michelle who recently won our Conservation Award. Read on below to find out how she got started and all the great work she's done so far. </b><br />
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Four years ago I found myself getting more and more fed up at finding litter along the coasts and shore lines when I went to the beach and wondered where it kept coming from as it couldn’t just be from what people had left behind. So I decided to find out more and organise a beach clean for one of the local beaches that I grew up next to. <br />
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I found the Marine Conservation Society Beachwatch page on the internet by chance as I was just scrolling through and decided to join and become a Beachwatch Organiser for Bacton Beach in Norfolk. <br />
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My first beach clean was back in November 2013. It was just me and my 12 year old daughter at the time and we collected a couple of bin bags full. I found it very satisfying and it was the perfect excuse to go down the beach and do something worthwhile whilst there. Once I saw what was involved in the surveys and understood how important they are I knew there was a real opportunity to make changes. <br />
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At the next clean there were four of us and we managed four bin bags full. Inspired I decided to start advertising more and so made a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/nrtnorfolkbeachcleans" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> and a <a href="http://www.twitter.com/beachclean78" target="_blank">Twitter account</a>. The number of people coming out to help has grown over the years and we now have a fantastic group of regular volunteers. <br />
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After a little time I decided to take on another beach and became the organiser for a beach next to Bacton beach called Walcott which was in desperate need of some cleaning after the very severe surge tide of December 2013. Back then a lot of people lost their homes and there was severe flood damage to peoples' property which meant a lot of building debris, plastic piping, bags, polystyrene and rubber insulation found its way onto the beach. At the first beach clean at Walcott ten of us collected a whopping 110 kg of rubbish! <br />
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Not long after whilst walking with my son along another beach a few miles south called Sea Palling we found dead birds caught up in fishing rope and lots of litter too, so I decided to take on that beach as well. The final beach I took on was Mundesley where I went to school and have many happy memories of visiting. We have been working away at clearing up a huge polystyrene mountain there behind the sea defences since February 2017, it is now more of a mole hill and much improved! <br />
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I have been the Beachwatch Organiser for all these beaches since. They are relatively small beaches, but almost every weekend I organise a beach clean for one of them as well as doing the year round surveys and seal warden duties in the winter. So there I was, looking after four beaches but I still felt like there was more I could be doing so 3 years ago I became a Sea champion and boy have I been busy since! <br />
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As more people found out about the beach cleans I was asked to give a talk at Bacton First School to key stage 2 children. This was a great opportunity to educate the younger generation. I then did another two beach clean talks at a primary school and a Brownie group both of which I did a small beach clean with too. <br />
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Eventually I started getting contacted by companies such as Aviva and McDonalds asking if I could organise beach cleans as part of their charity initiative days. I did one with Aviva and Virgin Money both in 2016 and 2017 and a couple with Victory housing group. <br />
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Working at Sainsburys I was also able to be part of their local heroes scheme where they donate up to £200 per financial year depending on how many hours you volunteer for a charity. The Marine Conservation Society gets £200 per year from that as well as some fundraising I do whilst manning stalls at events. <br />
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I've even tried my hand at a bit of media work and have done a couple of radio interviews too as well as had the opportunity to take part in Sky TV's Ocean Rescue programme as part of a new children's program.<br />
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Recently it was a very nice surprise to be invited to the Marine Conservation Society AGM in London and to have won their Conservation Award! I was very touched and happy to receive this as it means a lot to me. I do the beach cleans as it is something I feel strongly about and enjoy, but receiving this was fantastic and a huge thank you for the opportunity and recognition . It has been a fantastic four years so far and hopefully many more to come!<br />
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<b><br />Phew, what a trooper! A huge thank you Michelle. The award was very well deserved and we can't wait to see what you get up to next 🙂. </b><br />
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Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-33883619311133823882018-02-23T03:35:00.001-08:002018-03-12T03:00:34.542-07:00A Sea Champion Out of Water<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuWqZ8ugghZRlzOpnsSLi5lPetfhqc544bLoOnsskgx-XZNhlqMP27aHAF51OCJ5W7ha3ukz6ct2HoGGh3T6T4bkDl0CXt3E8x3fS5hft2EA7mqQ6hcH1RT55BcNEp1x_rLWdXYui2c0/s1600/Big+Seaweed+Search.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuWqZ8ugghZRlzOpnsSLi5lPetfhqc544bLoOnsskgx-XZNhlqMP27aHAF51OCJ5W7ha3ukz6ct2HoGGh3T6T4bkDl0CXt3E8x3fS5hft2EA7mqQ6hcH1RT55BcNEp1x_rLWdXYui2c0/s640/Big+Seaweed+Search.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kay getting seaweed savvy out on the shore</td></tr>
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<b>Here at MCS we get approached all the time by people who live nowhere near the sea but still want to volunteer with us. Can they still become a Sea Champion, they ask? And if they did, what could they do? Well, the answer is YES you can and there's lots to do no matter how far from the sea you are. Kay one of our Bristol Sea Champions wondered those very things and here's what she's been up to. </b></div>
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With a passion for the sea and all things marine, I enthusiastically signed up to become a Marine Conservation Society Sea Champion. A dose of reality then set in. I live in Bristol which is not on the coast and lacks beaches and rock pools to explore, so was this really a good idea? <br />
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I have spent the last year involved in a number of marine themed activities from dressing up at local events, to promoting MCS, to finding a dead ray on a stretch of coast one weekend.<br />
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Here are some of the things that you can do which can involve friends, your work place or simply using the power of one - you:</div>
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Find out if your Council has a ban on releases of balloons and sky lanterns on their land via <a href="http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Clean+seas+and+beaches/Campaigns+and+policy/Action+on+sky+lanterns+&+balloons" target="_blank">this list. </a>If not, get campaigning for a ban locally. There is loads of useful info and resources on the MCS <a href="http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Clean+seas+and+beaches/Campaigns+and+policy/Don't+Let+Go+-+resources" target="_blank">Don’t Let Go website</a>, including alternative ideas for celebrations and commemorations.<br />
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With the increased awareness of plastic pollution you could link in with local environmental groups such as Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA. You can show your support by <a href="http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Clean+seas+and+beaches/Campaigns+and+policy/Don't+let+go+-+support" target="_blank">signing the pledge page</a> to show your support for a local ban and then share with your friends on social media.<br />
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Set aside some time even if only once a month to spend a day at the weekend exploring your nearest bit of coast. Take part in a MCS wildlife sightings survey for jellyfish, turtles, basking sharks or alien species – all on the <a href="http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Wildlife+protection/Report+wildlife+sightings" target="_blank">website</a>. Or just wander, explore, take photos and see what you find.<br />
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Find out the Sea Champions nearest to you from your regional Volunteer Manager and meet up to discuss what you can do locally – a great excuse for a coffee and cake or even something stronger! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kay meeting up with some other Sea Champions in Bristol</td></tr>
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Learning more about all things marine can give you the confidence to inform people about what is going on in our marine environment. <a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/">Future Learn</a> do a free online course on Monitoring the Oceans from Space. <br />
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Grab a coffee, sit down and listen to one of the podcasts about the sea and all things marine that are out there. <a href="https://player.fm/series/ocean-currents-radio-program">Ocean currents</a> or the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05jv4yz/episodes/downloads">BBC Blue Planet podcasts</a>. <b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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Why not take up the <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/plastic-challenge/" target="_blank">Plastic Challenge</a> and see if you can get your workplace/local school involved.<br />
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It's also always worth checking out the current <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/how-you-can-help/" target="_blank">MCS campaigns page</a> as there are lots of different ways you can get involved listed on there. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMS5VIcZAMSTpQTCRnQnn2a0MdWi9eI6-TkTxT1CLL6lcVvWcMauJ2DqB6g8hWkg8h4mmGNcAOrdceWkWdlgBhKD7RNKuBC5hhCxUi2IT3N38OutKRlmrXCto_qFJ38dvQ78nKiLh6j0/s1600/Kay+and+Neill+FON+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1178" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMS5VIcZAMSTpQTCRnQnn2a0MdWi9eI6-TkTxT1CLL6lcVvWcMauJ2DqB6g8hWkg8h4mmGNcAOrdceWkWdlgBhKD7RNKuBC5hhCxUi2IT3N38OutKRlmrXCto_qFJ38dvQ78nKiLh6j0/s640/Kay+and+Neill+FON+2017.jpg" width="470" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kay dressed as MCS's Larry the Lobster helping out at the Bristol Festival of Nature</td></tr>
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So the answer is yes you can be a Sea Champion and get active without living near the coast but a word of warning – as you start doing things you will find you want to do more and more! <br />
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Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-80693214622093781752018-01-23T06:06:00.000-08:002018-01-23T06:06:14.607-08:00Why did I become a Sea Champion?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>It's always great to learn from our lovely volunteers just what made them want to get involved in the first place and so when South East Sea Champion Steve got in touch to share his reasons we thought others might like to read about it, just in case you were thinking about it too.</b><br />
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Retiring in late 2014 was brilliant. Half a career teaching mainly English and Art, then half a career in the civil service largely writing and delivering training and presentations was over. I made myself a promise which was to avoid what frustrated or bored me so minimal IT and no dismal senior management to deal with. </div>
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In my twenties and thirties I did some freelance cartooning and wanted to get back to that. I also love allotment gardening and cooking so those were definite. We retired back to the sea, having lived in Southsea when first married and missed it when in commutersville nearer London. So, retirement also meant joining Bexhill Environmental Group (which organises beach cleans), doing the publicity for the local art society, and trying various activities through the U3A (University of the Third Age). I now love Bexhill on Sea which is pleasantly eccentric.<br />
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My daughter, meanwhile, became qualified as a marine biologist and so by osmosis and her patience I began to gather knowledge about marine issues, plus the occasional physical attack if I cooked the wrong fish. At the excellent Bexhill Festival of the Sea in 2016 I picked up various leaflets – a disease for which there is no cure – and the more I read about MCS the more I thought, ‘This is worthwhile’.<br />
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Therefore, in 2017 after the Festival and a chat with Volunteer Manager Kate I joined up as a Sea Champion. Slightly baffled by the number of other organisations with overlapping functions; Clean Seas, Sussex Wildlife and MSC, I thought MCS had the clearer overview. </div>
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The next consideration was how could I be most useful? Well, teaching and training held me in good stead so I’ve now completed the preparation to go into schools to deliver MCS' education workshops. Then I thought I would draw a few cartoons which may amuse but get people thinking too. I sell my cartoon cards locally but they don’t have a message as such, so this was more of a challenge to balance the two. I hope that they are a useful tool to get people thinking about marine issues. Then next up is to give a talk to the area U3A about plastics in the marine environment.<br />
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It’s nice in your sixties to do something new and to use the skills acquired over the years. It’s also nice to be involved with all ages in MCS as many of the clubs, societies and activities available when you retire are a bit shuffler-dominated. Oh, I’m one of those too, so no criticism intended. </div>
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I’d be happy to link up with anyone in the Hastings to Eastbourne area for local activities – please contact me via Kate (kate.whitton@mcsuk.org) if so. Regards, Steve Hall.<br />
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Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-25287989708031134492017-09-13T03:38:00.002-07:002017-09-13T03:38:31.384-07:00Salt Water Sandals and their #saltiebeachclean<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHOueG-oR9ojLlx6tIqrmbBOwX767-jLgm5XrV8SE3ncGIOy6q_ppGTPnNyDeKCe-2TGyzGSOZeuf-Rb7PbBK1NPxSRAkf6ZPxlQtvKDJ4tzbYt2L33H6fkGp21LV-5bt_WrAqDIwucY/s1600/cropbeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="700" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHOueG-oR9ojLlx6tIqrmbBOwX767-jLgm5XrV8SE3ncGIOy6q_ppGTPnNyDeKCe-2TGyzGSOZeuf-Rb7PbBK1NPxSRAkf6ZPxlQtvKDJ4tzbYt2L33H6fkGp21LV-5bt_WrAqDIwucY/s640/cropbeach.jpg" width="640" /></a><b>This week at MCS it's beach clean crazy in the run up to our Great British Beach Clean this weekend (15th - 19th September). To get you in the beach cleaning mood we thought you might like to hear how one of our partners <a href="http://www.salt-watersandals.com/" target="_blank">Salt-Water Sandals</a> got on at a recent clean they attended. </b></div>
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Here at Salt-Water Sandals we have always had a very strong relationship with <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/">The Marine Conservation Society</a> (MCS). We have been working together for a few years now; from collaborative competitions, to designing special edition sandals with a seaside theme. This year we decided to name our Turquoise Original as <a href="http://www.salt-watersandals.com/blog/the-turquoise-original-the-official-mcs-sandal/">the official MCS Sandal</a> with 10% of all proceeds going directly to MCS.<br /> <br /> To help out in person, this August we decided to put our feet first and step onto the MCS’s turf in way of a Beach Clean. All our families were invited and off we went to Birling Gap for a day out of the office. With the help & guidance of the lovely Kate Whitton from MCS we were ready to go! Well after dipping our Salties in the water and a quick ice cream stop…</div>
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We were met by Kate in a café where she gave us a bit of background about MCS, their work and their beach cleans AKA Beachwatch. We were upset to learn that only 1% of the UK seas are protected and that only 10,000 people volunteer to help clean the UK’s beaches every year. We were very excited to get our day started and try and help as much as we could.<br /> <br /> Off we went with bin bags and litter pickers – on first look at the beautiful coast we wondered whether we would even find anything to clean. It was picturesque and seemed to be in good nick… It didn’t take long for us to be proven wrong. We were shocked by the amount (and variety) of litter on this seemingly ‘clean’ coastline. From plastic, to batteries, to rope, to a pair of pants!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In just under an hour, on a strip of 100m of the beach, our small but mighty team collected 538 items (and these were just the easily identifiable items!)<br /> <br /> Once we had completed our day of cleaning we went back to the café to compare litter notes and create a ‘litter timeline’ with everyday objects found on beaches. We were given an array of items and lots of different cards with different time frames and had to guess which item went with which card. After some – shall we say heated – discussions we settled on our timeline and after getting it wrong (4 times!!) we finally got the seal of approval from MCS’s Kate.<br /> <br /> For your information, here is our full timeline and time it takes for items to fully decompose. WARNING – some time frames may shock you – and hopefully make you THINK!<br /> <br /> Cardboard – 2-5 years<br /> Balloon – 4 years<br /> Plastic Bag – 20-50+ years<br /> Crisp Packet – 75 years<br /> Tin Can – 450 years<br /> Nappy – 500 years<br /> Plastic Bottle – 450-1000 years<br /> Glass – Forever</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxxUO0aD92q5qXnK-uLEeHzVwFFdKqW6n5Rg3hMVQsmd8sD5vZvCPzoW3oAudEEjQFWho1Cko5ajBaVYjC6Z8eGmaycRfSqKKSIVohQB4T7cwGEUs630eNy1HLYMNlyqUOMXHqC8-s1k/s1600/cropfeet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="700" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxxUO0aD92q5qXnK-uLEeHzVwFFdKqW6n5Rg3hMVQsmd8sD5vZvCPzoW3oAudEEjQFWho1Cko5ajBaVYjC6Z8eGmaycRfSqKKSIVohQB4T7cwGEUs630eNy1HLYMNlyqUOMXHqC8-s1k/s640/cropfeet.jpg" width="640" /></a>At the end of a very thought provoking and eye opening day MCS treated us to a bit of Rock Pooling on our newly cleaned beach. We we soon found lots of marine life from crabs, to sea snails, to anemones.</div>
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<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Finishing off our day like this and seeing all of the marine life in its natural habitat completely highlighted the significance of the Beach Clean and all the hard work MCS do on a day to day basis.<br /> <br /> We would like to ask everyone to GET INVOLVED! Whether you would like to<a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/organisers"> organize your own event</a> in way of a work day out or a family trip to the seaside or maybe just jumping in on an already organised event like <a href="https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/greatbritishbeachclean">The Great British Beach Clean</a> (taking place over the 15th-18th September)– the MCS need your help! More importantly the UK’s seas need your help. Join the Beachwatch today and truly make a difference.<br /><br /> *** Ps: we decided unanimously that the pair of pants won ‘find of the day’!Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-18585519622508224202017-09-08T04:04:00.003-07:002017-09-08T04:04:39.559-07:00Sun, Sea & Cetaceans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Simon is one of our South East Sea Champions and alongside studying for a Foundation Degree in Marine Ecology and Conservation, he also does voluntary work for conservation charities (including the Marine Conservation Society!) He was recently lucky enough to go to Tenerife to volunteer on a whale and dolphin conservation project. Read on to hear all about his trip.</b><br />
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As a marine ecology and conservation student with a keen interest in marine mammals, spending four weeks in Tenerife volunteering with whales and dolphins seemed like the perfect way to get field experience. What I didn’t expect was a once in a lifetime opportunity, whilst contributing to valuable scientific research…</div>
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<br />Before I go into that, here’s a bit of background information about me: I’m currently studying for a Foundation Degree in Marine Ecology and Conservation, and I'm planning on doing a BSc Hons in Marine Biology upon successful completion of my course.<div>
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I chose to go on the project as I’ve always been interested in whales and dolphins, and felt this was a fantastic opportunity to get some experience in conducting scientific research.<br />
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The project I was involved in has three main activities that are conducted on a daily basis: <br />
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<li>Cetacean Surveys on local whale watching boats where data and photographs are collected on the local populations of whales and dolphins in the area. This will be used to increase knowledge of the animals, such as where they prefer to socialise. </li>
<li>Community Outreach activities are carried out which mainly involves telling visitors about responsible whale watching companies, that follow guidelines that ensures minimal disturbance to the animals. As part of the ongoing plastic pollution problem, beach cleans are also conducted across the island. </li>
<li>Boat and other vessels, such as jet skis, were monitored through surveys to see if there was any disturbance caused to whales and dolphins in the area. This will allow staff to potentially bring in restrictions that ensure minimal disturbance to any whales and dolphins in Tenerife. </li>
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Tenerife is home to a resident population of Short-finned Pilot Whale and Bottlenose Dolphin, and the project aims to build a database on these two species. Occasionally, other species are seen such as Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, Common Dolphin, Sperm Whale, and Minke Whale. All the sightings collected are used to a build catalogue of populations resident within Tenerife, so that conservation measures can be implemented to safeguard their future. <br />
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If I had to choose highlights from the trip, they would be: <br />
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<li>Bow-Riding Dolphins: when I was on one of my Cetacean Surveys on the boats, I saw a pod of Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, Common Dolphin, and Bottlenose Dolphin bow-riding along the front of the boat. It was an amazing experience to see these majestic animals up close in their natural habitat. </li>
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<li>Pilot Whale Mother & Calf: when I was collecting photographs of Pilot Whales from one of the boats, I noticed that an adult female had a nearly born calf alongside her, and I managed to get a photo of them together. </li>
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<li>Risso’s Dolphins: on my last boat survey, I was very luck to encounter a family group of Risso’s Dolphin. This is a species that is known for having white scars across their skin, possibly made by their main prey item: squid. It was very sweet to see them tail slapping (I like to think it was their way of saying hello). Certainly a great way to end an incredible trip. </li>
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Being a volunteer on the project was such an amazing experience. It gave me an insight into what is involved in marine mammal research and has a certainly served as a benchmark for future career plans after my studies. If I could give anyone advice if they wanted to get involved with whale and dolphin conservation efforts, they would be: </div>
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<li>Volunteer - there are projects in the UK and abroad where people can get involved with conservation projects. You don’t have to be a marine biologist: just have bags of enthusiasm, willingness to get stuck in and maybe a stroke of good luck! </li>
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<li>Whale Watching Trips - best way to see whales and dolphins is to go on a whale watching trip. There are plenty of opportunities available in the UK, particularly in Cornwall and Scotland. I would personally recommend those that support the WiSe scheme, a scheme that is used to promote responsible wildlife watching, which should be displayed on their website. </li>
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<li>Make a donation, make a difference - we all have the ability to make a difference that will contribute towards the conservation of all marine life, including whales and dolphins. In the UK, we are lucky enough to have different species from Bottlenose Dolphin to Orca’s. Any donation you can make will support organisations, such as MCS, to ensure that UK seas are fit for life for marine species. </li>
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I hope you’ve been inspired by my blog and that it's got you thinking about ways that you can support the conservation of whales and dolphins in a time where the ocean requires urgent protection from a number of man made threats. </div>
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Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8107721510053904509.post-10095498110200598342017-08-29T05:28:00.000-07:002017-08-29T05:28:35.687-07:00Getting seaweed savvy with the Big Seaweed Search <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Our South West Volunteer Manager Jules Agate has been seeing seaweeds in a new light with the Big Seaweed Search (BSS). Read on to find out all about her macro algae adventures!</b><br />
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Here in the South West of England we’ve really taken to the Big Seaweed Search - like blue-rayed limpets to kelp! The BSS is a partnership project for the Marine Conservation Society with the Natural History Museum (NHM). The aim of the BSS is to involve the public as a force of citizen scientists to help us to find out how the distribution of different types of seaweed, and its abundance, is changing in response to changes in the marine environment. <br />
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The three key changes occurring in our seas that seaweeds are likely to be responding to are: <br />
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<li>Influx of non-native species </li>
<li>Increasing acidification (from dissolved carbon dioxide) </li>
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Despite almost encircling our coastline, with a phenomenal 650+ species in the UK, we still lack data on exactly what seaweed is growing where. This is why we absolutely need citizens to help us ‘do’ the science. There’s just so much coastline and so much seaweed to record! <br />
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Seaweeds are important in their own right too. They create the structure and habitat that provides shelter and food for thousands of creatures like urchins, molluscs and fish. Seaweeds are crucial to commercial fisheries, are used in foods, cosmetics and medicines and play a vital role in protecting our coasts from wave action and storm damage. <br />
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We have amazing seaweed diversity in our SW seas at the warmer end of the UK temperature spectrum, from huge strapping kelps to delicate looking coral weeds. Also there is a lot of alien invasive species growing in some SW localities, particularly Japanese Wireweed (<i>Sargassum muticum</i>) and Wakame (<i>Undaria pinnatifida</i>).<br />
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The BSS uses just 14 species (or groups of species where species level identification is difficult). The 14 are all likely to respond to environmental change and can therefore indicate to us what is happening to our seas more generally. They are also relatively easy to identify. <br />
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I became a bit of an expert last summer at rapidly picking out the 14 BSS target types from amongst the piles of those washed up on my local beach. My record is 15 min to collect samples of 9 species! I use the (carefully washed) samples I collect in displays at public shows, events and training sessions to demonstrate what the BSS is all about, and how to do it.<br />
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The beauty of the BSS is that it is very straight-forward, entailing just a 5m wide walk from the high to low shore, identifying and ticking off any of the 14 target seaweeds that you see. You’re also asked to make a rough estimate of how much is there and record some features of the shore. It is so simple that it doesn’t feel like you are doing a very big and important scientific experiment, but that’s exactly what it is; one that anybody can join, on any chosen shore (as long as there is seaweed!). <br />
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In September 2016 we ran a training session in Cornwall, very kindly organised by Simon Hocking of the National Trust, West Cornwall and his team, and lead by Prof Juliet Brodie from the NHM. This brought together over 40 people and completed three 5m surveys in the gorgeous Mounts Bay Marine Conservation Zone.The next week, I ran my own session for the <a href="http://www.polzeathmarineconservation.com/" target="_blank">Polzeath Marine Conservation Group</a> and some more National Trust staff. </div>
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We’ve now had more than 20 surveys uploaded in the South West and it is really taking off. It’s great to see people getting closely involved with our previously over-looked marine macro-algae (aka seaweeds!) and it definitely feels as if we’re starting to build a clearer picture of the seaweeds around our coasts – exciting! <br />
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If you’d like to get involved: Check out the <a href="http://www.bigseaweedsearch.org/" target="_blank">Big Seaweed Search website</a> where you can: <br />
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<li>Read more about the project </li>
<li>Download the guide and recording form. </li>
<li>Explore the current data </li>
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Don’t forget to Tweet your seaweed activities using #BigSeaweedSearch to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mcsuk" target="_blank">@mcsuk</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/NHMLondon" target="_blank">@NHMLondon </a><br />
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Contact <a href="mailto:jules.agate@mcsuk.org" target="_blank">jules.agate@mcsuk.org</a><a href="mailto:jules.agate@mcsuk.org" target="_blank"> </a>if you are interested in hosting your own group survey or training in the SW and <a href="mailto:seachampions@mcsuk.org">seachampions@mcsuk.org</a> for other regions. <br />
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Further reading: Recommended guide to Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland (2nd Edition) by Bunker, Brodie, Maggs and Bunker £19.50 from the <a href="http://www.mcsuk.org/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=60" target="_blank">MCS shop</a> </div>
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Sea Championshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09575879117139770617noreply@blogger.com0