A team of volunteers from both Essex County Council and its consultants Pick Everard joined Essex Wildlife Trust on their Tollesbury Wick nature reserve, to help clean up the coastline. This work enhances the litter removal undertaken regularly by the local community.

With recent TV series including BBC’s Blue Planet II and Drowning in Plastic highlighting the serious problem of plastic pollution, local efforts are vital to raise awareness and help clear the marsh of pollutants. The presence of some large items of waste meant extra help had to be drafted in first as old oil drums, tarpaulins, large lumps of wood with nails, lobster cages and car tyres all needed to be removed from the marsh.

Among the smaller items found were hundreds of small plastic purple straws and cotton wool buds dispersed amongst the saltmarsh plants, along with a significant number of deflated helium balloons.

We would like you give a huge thank you to Neil and his energetic team for spending the day with us on our nature reserve. The team was a fantastic help and they’ve already signed up for a return visit to help with other essential works.

We would also like to give a huge thank you to Matt from Maldon District Council who facilitated the disposal of this large volume of unwanted waste! We hope by raising awareness it will encourage more people to dispose of their rubbish responsibly and recycle when possible.

Essex Wildlife Trust are planning on undertaking more of these events on a regular basis, for the benefits of wildlife and the local community.

If your business would like to become an Investor in Wildlife and join Essex Wildlife Trust on a future team day, contact Karen Dixon on KarenD@essexwt.org.uk.