Young Legend Leads Remote AMDI Clean-up in Tassie

South Cape Bay is located on the edge of the Southwest National Park, a Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Due to its isolated location, clean-ups are rarely organised along the beach, as the walk is long and requires appropriate gear. Pearl Mitchell, a passionate Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) devotee, is attending university in Tasmania. Alongside the UTAS Bushwalking Society and UTAS Zero Waste Society she organised an overnight camping trip and volunteer clean-up on the 5th – 6th of September. 

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NRM North Staff and Volunteers Clean Up the Tamar!

NRM North staff and volunteers rolled up their sleeves to remove rubbish from the Tamar estuary as part of World Rivers Day celebrations.

Two clean-up events were organised by NRM North’s Tamar Estuary and Esk Rivers (TEER) Program at Swan Point and Riverside on September 26.

The day aimed to raise awareness of the amount of rubbish accumulating in the Tamar and the impact on marine life.

A total of 58 cigarette lighters, 150 bottle lids, 191 plastic drink bottles and 40 plastic bags were among what was collected on the day.

Some of the larger items collected included painted timber with nails, tyres, potties, corflute signs, treated timber posts and pieces of plastic pipe.

The event was so successful, the TEER Program is planning on running regular clean-up days in the future.

For more information visit www.nrmnorth.org.au.

Green Guardians tackle track litter, beach debris and a fauna survey

Litter was collected from the Overland Track and East Coast beaches, and fauna were surveyed by participants in guided tours as part of the Green Guardians voluntourism program during the past summer.

The litter collection survey took place on the popular Overland Track in Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park and on the Hazards Beach track at Freycinet National Park, Tasmania; the study and collection of marine debris occurred in the Bay of Fires Conservation Area; and the fauna survey was carried out along the Franklin River in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Read more “Green Guardians tackle track litter, beach debris and a fauna survey”

Marine Trash Turned into Coastcare Treasures

Coastcare Week got off to a creative, colourful and happily trashy start in the Cradle Coast region of Tasmania with a display of marine sculptures made using plastic bags, bottles, cans, fishing line and other rubbish collected from local beaches. Students from six schools transformed the debris into 40 imaginative sea creatures in Cradle Coast NRM’s Schools Marine Debris Sculpture Competition to raise awareness of the need to Keep the Sea Free of Debris.

Competition winners were announced today at a special presentation to mark the beginning of Coastcare Week 2011 which is celebrated around Australia from 5 to 11 December to recognise the work of community volunteers in caring for their coast. The sculptures provided a colourful backdrop to the regional launch which was also attended by guest speaker, Peter Whish-Wilson, Tasmanian Chair of the Surfrider Foundation. Mr Whish-Wilson teaches environmental finance at UTAS and is planning a PhD on the economics of marine plastic pollution. Read more “Marine Trash Turned into Coastcare Treasures”