Why should you volunteer?

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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!)

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! 

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?). 

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. 

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. 

Check out the full list of beach cleans happening for the Great British Beach Clean and regular beach cleans in your area at: mcsuk.org/beachwatch/events.

Although Great British Beach Clean is fast approaching, there is still time to register to organise or participate in a beach clean. Visit mcsuk.org/beachwatch to find out more.

How Amy is championing our seas

Shawn and Bethany from The Marine Diaries, recently interviewed one of our Sea Champions, Amy to find out how her volunteering role with Marine Conservation Society has changed her life. 

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 Sea Tales.

Standing on the iconic shoreline of Sand Bay. Photo: Amy Parker

HEY, AMY! TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.

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.

YOU’VE BUILT YOUR LIFE AROUND THE OCEAN. WHAT DREW YOU TO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

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.

Iona Beach, located on Scotland’s west coast. Photo: Amy Parker

DESCRIBE THE PATH YOU TOOK TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW.

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.

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.

Just one of many beach cleans that Amy has been apart of. Photo: Amy Parker

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION. YOU’VE SPENT YEARS LEADING BEACH CLEAN-UPS; HOW HAVE THEY BEEN RECEIVED BY LOCAL BEACH COMMUNITIES?

The Marine Conservation Society (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.

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!

A discarded fishing lure lies on top of a record sheet used to log rubbish collected on Sand Bay’s shoreline. Photo: Amy Parker

HOW DO YOU HOPE YOUR VOICE AND WORK WILL INFLUENCE OTHERS?

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.

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.

Hunting for nurdles – small pellets used as raw material during the manufacturing of plastic products. Photo: Amy Parker

YOU’VE RECENTLY STARTED SEA TALES. WHAT DROVE YOU TO LAUNCH YOUR OWN PODCAST?

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.

Photo: Amy Parker

DO YOU HAVE A DREAM GUEST FOR THE SEA TALES PODCAST?

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.

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?

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:

“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”

Start with simple changes, such as:

• Use a refillable water bottle and reusable coffee cup. It will become second nature quite quickly.
• Download the Refill App and find out where you can refill your water bottle for free. Loads of train stations have them now.
• 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.
• Use your voice and vote with your money.
• Refuse single use plastic like straws and bags.

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.

Some examples of Amy’s zero-waste efforts. Photo: Amy Parker

One of my favourite products is Original Cork flip flops, 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.

WHOSE WORK HAS INFLUENCED AND INSPIRED YOU?

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.

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! @cleanourpatch@citytosea_@Pentwyn.Pickers@youthstrike4climate

@mediabymads and @emptythetanksworldwide 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.

@plasticoceansUK and @exxpedition_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.

Plastics, among other litter, collected during a Sand Bay beach clean. Photo: Amy Parker

IF SOMEONE WANTED TO START THEIR OWN SCIENCE OR EDUCATIONAL PODCAST, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM?

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, Sound Cloud 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 @sea_ tales__on Instagram.

Into the Industry explores the lives and vocations of professionals, academics and those working in the marine biology world

IF YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SEA TALES OR THE MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY, FOLLOW THEM ON INSTAGRAM @SEA_TALES__AND @MCS_UK

IF YOU’VE ENJOYED READING THIS INTERVIEW, LOOK OUT FOR MORE INTO THE INDUSTRY ARTICLES FROM SHAWN AND FOLLOW HIM HERE @SHAWNSKI13 // @NEGATIVESNANCY

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:- www.mcsuk.org

Beach clean with Smidge

Marine Conservation Society (MCS) recently teamed up with new corporate supporters Smidge 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.

What is a beach clean-up and why are they important?
A beach clean-up is an activity, normally organised and carried out by volunteers, that aims at cleaning a beach or a section of it from all sorts of beach litter (mainly plastic, but not only!).

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. 

Some beach and ocean pollution facts… 

The trash and plastic on the beach are a direct result of two possible causes: 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.

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 made of single-use plastic and a lot of them cannot be recycled.

Recycling charity Recoup estimate consumers in the UK go through 13 billion plastic drink bottles every year, 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 hundreds of years before biodegrading. 

As some areas of our oceans currently contain 6 times more microplastics than plankton 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 47% decrease in plastic bags on UK beaches since the government introduced the plastic bag charge measure in 2011? Also, microbeads have recently been banned in wash-off cosmetics, whoop! And are you following the news around #WarOnPlastic, #OurPlasticFeedback, #RefillRevolution and #PlasticChallenge? As we look at the possibility of our seas having more plastic than fish by 2050, we are optimistic 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!

Our beach clean experience with the Marine Conservation Society
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 encourage little day-to-day changes 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.

We woke up to a miserable, rainy day… yeiii, not! But our spirits were not defeated… we had our hearts set on cleaning Sand Bay Beach 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!

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 record of all the rubbish items 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 target the more harmful and widespread items of trash! 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.

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 1302 litter items (25kg) in just 100 meters of beach – 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: 

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…

The afternoon saw us do some free-style beach cleaning, which brought the total litter count up to 66kg! We never thought litter picking could be so rewarding. 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.

Our tips for a fully enjoyable beach clean experience
What to wear and bring
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 Smidge water bottles 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.

Beach clean tools
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.

Beach clean stats and data
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. 

I want to get involved, where can I start? And how do I organise a beach clean? 

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.

If the main goal is an enjoyable day out at the beach 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.

If on top of the above, you’d also like to meet new, like-minded people, 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 find local beach clean events on the Marine Conservation Society website here. Also, the 2019 Great British Beach Clean is coming soon – September 20th-23rd. At this link you will find information on scheduled local beach cleans near you as well as details on how you can plan your own beach clean event.

For companies wanting to organise team building activities 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 Marine Conservation Society, 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! 

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 – find details on all the ways you can get involved here. 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 shop the Smidge Natural Collection here.

We’d love to hear from you…
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.

Oh, and we almost forgot… the number of turtle species in the world is 7. Did you guess right? :)


If you would like to find out more about getting involved in a beach clean, or running one yourself, please visit our website - www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch

From Beachwatch to Don't Let Go

Balloon litter found on a beach clean

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.

"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.

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. 

Sea Champion Andy running a beach clean

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.

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.

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.

My advice to anyone wanting to get involved in this campaign, just do it and don’t let go of the idea of getting them banned in your area. Just be determined and persistent and you will get there." 

Fantastic work Andy! If you'd like to find out more about our Don't Let Go campaign then visit our website - mcsuk.org/dontletgo.