Earlier this month we celebrated National Marine Week, slap bang in the summer holidays. Many of you have been getting involved and showing you care about our spectacular coasts and wildlife.
It kicked off in fine style with an update from our colleagues in Wales showing Environment Minister John Griffiths how much the people of Cymru care about our sealife, presenting him with an image of a Manx shearwater made up of the 3000 signatures of those who signed our pledge for better protection of seabirds at sea.
It’s not all about campaigning (though that’s vitally important – more will happen towards the end of the year). It’s also about enjoying our seaside, and sharing that sense of fun and wonder. You shared some spectacular seaside pictures on our Facebook page. And in a quick poll, over three quarters of you said that you plan to visit a UK beach this summer – some going north of Inverness, others to the southerly tips of Cornwall. It just goes to show that wherever you live in the UK, a great coastline is not too far away.
Which means we can all do a bit to help our salty wildlife sometimes. We shared some ideas on this blog during National Marine Week – simple things we can do at any time. Little steps by lots of people add up to something big.
If you have a little more time and energy, why not volunteer on one of our coastal reserves? Check out the opportunities near you on our volunteering page.
But most of all – lets celebrate our sealife. We have world class wildlife here. Help us keep it that way.
Image: Anthony Griffiths