Peedie Sea litter warriors.

As the days get shorter and the weather cools the Peedie Sea again becomes busy with returning overwintering birds. The swans are arriving and ducks congregating - it is part of the seasonal change in Kirkwall. Once on the periphery of the town, The Peedie Sea is now surrounded by development and part of a busy thoroughfare - a main road and pedestrian paths between car parks with occasional food vans, supermarkets, school, campsite, playing fields, skatepark, a swimming pool and leisure centre, and housing. This means that the area is exposed to a lot of littering, much of it is single use bags and bottles, which spreads quickly in our windy weather.

The younger children at Glaitness School have taken responsibility for the area across the road from their school in a few different ways over the years by planting 'sticks' that are now young willow trees, and by creating interpretation boards for the new path.

They continue to do what they can in the windy playground to minimise the litter blown across to the Peedie Sea by having teams of volunteer litter pickers at break times and are now regularly making expeditions across the road to Pick Up Three Pieces, and working to get some bins established.

Here are a few of their responses to getting out and taking some action...

 

'I was surprised that there was so much rubbish but I was happy when we picked it all up.'

'I was happy when we were finished because we saved the animals from dying.'

'I am happy we picked up the litter because the plastic won't get stuck on the birds neck.'

'I enjoyed it because we are helping the environment. It was fun too because we got fresh air.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evie start planning and Burray get picking!

 

Pick Up Three Pieces visited two schools this week. Children at Burray had participated in the big 4th barrier litter pick with The Hope Community School last term but were keen to find out more about what marine litter is, the dangers it poses and where it comes from.

 

 

 

We watched a video and had a good discussion about their own experiences of finding plastics on the beach. Living so close to the shore meant that they were experts in some of the man made bruck to be found there.

 

Over in Evie later that day the Eco Committee and the Pupil Committee gathered to find out more about marine litter. Again they were a knowledgable group and very interested to see the litter from their own beach, some of which had come from Canada and Norway, and other bits, like crisp packets, from closer to home - maybe even the school playground!

 

 

After investigating the range of types of plastics that get washed up on Orkney's shores from the PU3P collection of cleaned beach plastics, they were keen to do something about it.

 

Lets hope we meet up again at the beach soon, and put some of that energy and enthusiasm into action!

 

 

 

Back at Burray the next day, a break in the weather meant a very pleasant morning on the beach for the Burray litter warriors. We found lots of rope, long lengths and short bits, scraps of plastic, clothes peg, cotton bud stick, lolly stick, bits of old creel, strapping bands, and much, much more!

 

The final big pile of bruck was deposited in the 1100ltr PU3P bin at the 4th barrier - almost filling it.

Well done for saving wildlife from all that  life threatening litter!

These children will continue to take a keen interest in, and responsibility for, the environment around them, and are already planning a return beach cleaning visit.

 

Burray School say, 'Pick Up Three!'