Final River Thames Cliffe Plastic Clean-up of the year.

So today was the final River Thames/Cliffe plastic clean-up of the year, it about this time of year I determined to remove the disgracefull amount of plastic along the southern reaches of the mighty Thames from Cliffe Fort to Blythe Sands

A journey that has taken all that time, but we have removed some three tons of plastic out of the River Thames complex.

When you work out the maths that's the equivalent of 75,000 500ml bottles, accepting that only 50% were in acual fact bottles it illustrates that all the smaller items ie cotton bud stems, sanitary products and childrens drinking straws were a massive part of the problem.

While we are on the subject of statistics over 3 events over 160 volunteers made the effort to get out of bed, brave the elements, sun, rain and wind to show they care enough about the planet to assist in the removal of this blight.

I thank each and everyone of those fantastic people who contributed to filling this huge skip with plastic that will now not choke our precious wildlife to death.

My thanks to Ian Sears and Eliza Saunders for the photos.

My thanks to the Warden Will Tofts who gave up his day off to drive the tractor, Ruby, the Assistant Warden who drove the truck and Interns Ben and Joe who assisted.

Also pleasing to note that on such a lovely day butterflies enhanced the experience, Large and Small White, Wall Browns, Common Blue, a Painted Lady and the beautiful Clouded Yellow in good numbers.