28 pupils and staff from Kingswood School in Bath recently headed over to Porthcawl to help play their part in the preservation of the natural world by taking part in a beach clean.
In gratitude for their efforts, Mother Nature provided clear skies and beautiful conditions in which to work.
Combing the tide line for plastics, cans and other man made waste, the group returned with full bin liners. The rubbish spotted and collected on the beach was of a much smaller scale than expected, with micro-plastics found in great number amongst the sand and debris. These pose an ever-increasing threat to the wildlife and natural beauty of the area.
The afternoon culminated in some games of rounders and beach football which was enjoyed by all.
“Taking part in a beach clean is a wonderful way to engage with our natural environment and to consider the threat we pose to it,” said physics teacher Will Musgrove. “By taking positive action to mitigate our impacts, we hope to encourage pupils to consider their own consumption and waste.
“Events like this are as much about changing mind-sets and behaviours as the physical improvement to the environment we leave behind. Over the years we have been running this trip, we have been pleased to see that we are not alone in our passion for the environment and we often find ourselves sharing the task with other local individuals or groups.
“What was noticeable about this trip was the volume of small plastic particles that had integrated themselves within the sand. These are so numerous and so difficult to sift that they are destined to leave a permanent and damaging effect, a reminder of our age of plastic.”
Year 9 pupil, Monica, added, “I really enjoyed the beach clean but was disappointed with humans. I was shocked at how much plastic there was. It seemed to be far more than on our last clean.”