Call for volunteers to help with plastic clean up at RSPB Marshside

Staff at RSPB Marshside in Southport, are calling on local volunteers to help with their ‘Big Marshside Clean-up’ event on Saturday 10 March.

Following recent high tides, the nature reserve has seen a large amount of plastic and other debris deposited on the site, which poses a risk to wildlife and spoils the beauty of the area.

Marshside is part of the Ribble Estuary National Nature Reserve, an internationally important site that is home to a variety of wonderful wildlife such as overwintering flocks of wigeon and wading birds as well as the pink footed geese that the area is famous for.

Gareth Tate, Warden at RSPB Ribble Reserves said: “Whilst the recent high tides provided a fantastic spectacle for our visitors, bringing birds from the saltmarsh into close view, the downside is they also brought in lots of rubbish. Popular BBC programme ‘Blue Planet’ has highlighted the danger that plastic poses in our oceans, and the same applies to our estuaries like the Ribble.

“We recently held a similar event at our Hesketh Out Marsh reserve and were delighted that 35 volunteers from the local community came along to help us clear around 95 bags of rubbish. We hope lots of people will come along to this event at Marshside to help clean up this beautiful spot. It’s also an ideal opportunity to meet like-minded locals and get out in the fresh air.”

The clean-up event is running from 10.30am-1pm and participants should meet at the RSPB Marshside car park,Marine Drive, Southport, PR9 9PJ. Appropriate waterproof, outdoor clothing and footwear should be worn along with work/garden gloves. Some litter pickers will be available, but people are encouraged to bring their own if they have them. For further details visit www.rspb.org.uk/marshside