Local Marine Conservation Society volunteers need your help to ensure local beaches remain clean and

Help clean up Cabin Hill NNR, Formby and turn the tide on marine litter. Cabin Hill NNR, Formby will be receiving a thorough clean on Friday 18 th January 2019 as part of Beachwatch, the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) beach clean and litter survey which aims to highlight the issues of beach litter around the UK’s coastline.

This event is being run in partnership with Natural England as they manage Cabin Hill National Nature Reserve. Dave Mercer (Reserve Manager) said ‘volunteers make an incredibly valuable contribution to the management of the nature reserve.

We are delighted that Andy has organised this event as it is very difficult for the staff to keep on top of the plastic waste on Cabin Hill NNR especially in the winter months’ Local Beachwatch organiser, Andy Laverick, says I would like to see more volunteers than ever before lend a hand to make this latest clean a success. The event takes place on Friday 18th January 2019, starting at 10:00, and it promises to be a fun and informative social occasion.

The number of volunteers allowed to attend the event is limited as the site is a National Nature Reserve. Therefore registration is essential. Please contact organiser for more information. Andy Laverick says the tide of litter washing up on our shores is not just unpleasant to look at but can harm and even kill some of our best-loved marine wildlife: “Over 170 species including seabirds, turtles and whales have mistaken marine litter for food and actually eaten it, which in many cases has resulted in starvation, poisoning and ultimately a slow, painful death.

“Plastic packaging and discarded fishing nets also injure entangle and drown some of Britain’s favourite marine animals, including seals and dolphins.” MCS beach clean surveys have recorded a steady increase in the amount of beach litter since 1993. The four main sources of litter found on UK beaches come from the public, fishing, sanitary waste (particularly cotton bud sticks) and shipping.

Join Andy at Cabin Hill NNR, Formby on Friday 18th January 2019, at 10am and take part in an event that will not only make the beach look great for visitors, but will also help MCS identify where the litter comes and try to stop it at source Volunteers can register online at: https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch or they can contact Andy at: greatbritishbeachcleanformby@yahoo.com