This weekend, the Land & Wave staff, dogs and kids bundled along to Tyneham Village, for a walk down to Worbarrow Bay. The plan: to walk, play and do a bit of litter picking along the way.
Nothing prepared us for the swathe of plastic rubbish washed up on one of our favourite local bays. In addition to a carpet of plastic bottles and fishing rope covering the beach, we found:
– An actual carpet
– Toilet brush
– Bike wheel
– Washing basket
– Toothbrushes
– Flag pole and flag
– Phone case
– Mop and bucket
– Camping mat
Project ‘Plastic Dinosaur’
With little encouragement, our mini Land & Wave warriors, Daisie (aged 5), Harrison (aged 4) and their pals, set to action to collect weird and wonderful objects on the beach.
Their aim: to quite literally build a ‘plastic monster’ from the debris. And a monster it was.
Having recently watched Blue Planet II, Daisie has a newfound understanding of the plastic problem we have in our oceans (even 5-year-olds cannot escape the hypnotic charms of Attenborough).
She’s 5. Just think of the impact we could have if we all had the gusto of a 5-year-old?
Why Is It So Bad?
Following the recent Storm Eleanor, plastic has been spewing into local bays like Worbarrow, which act like a giant net. It’s a frightening eye-opener into just how much junk is floating around out there. This is Dorset. This is our doorstep.
How do we get into litter picking?
I don’t want to sound ranty. I just want to ask you to:
- Fill up a small bag full of rubbish next time you’re at the beach
- Don’t underestimate the people power of a walk with family and friends – you can literally litter pick a dinosaur between you
- Beach rubbish isn’t gross. It’s been washed around in the sea for god-knows how long. Wear gloves if you’re squeamish
- Be like a 5-year-old. Enjoy the hunt for weird plastic ‘treasure’ – Make David Attenborough proud
The Practicalities of a Litter Pick With kids
- Choose a location with a manageable walk for little legs. The Tyneham to Worbarrow Bay walk is 20 minutes along a flat gravel path and has good parking
- Take snacks. For energy. For bribery. For reward
- Pack hand sanitiser
- Take bags to collect rubbish – take one per person
- It’s not a litter pick! It’s a Treasure Hunt / Dinosaur Project / A Family Race / Plastic Sandcastle Comp
- Go somewhere familiar. It’s satisfying to protect a patch your kids have personal attachment to
19 March 2018 by Phoebe Webster
