Although I often slander those who replicate press releases word for word, today I can’t really be bothered getting creative after feeling the effects of a few cocktails on an inner-city Sydney rooftop last night, so to make my life easier, I’ll let a PR person write the first three paragraphs of this article…
“Kiwi charity Sustainable Coastlines have done it again, motivating over 1000 volunteers to cleanup the entire west coast of Aotea/Great Barrier Island last weekend. Through ingenuity and hard work, their volunteers have removed 29,000 litres of rubbish from the same stretches of coastline where over 700 people took 2.8 tonnes last year.
On Friday, 400 children from the low-decile schools of the Auckland region, went out to the Island about the Fuller’s Ferries Superflyte boat, to work with local schools on a cleanup of Tryphena Harbour- a day that Sustainable Coastlines coordinated with the Sir Peter Blake Trust’s “Care for Our Coast” program.
On Saturday, 250 volunteers came across in challenging seas aboard the Jet Raider, joined up with hoards of locals into 36 teams (with 25 private boats and 55 kayaks) to remove debris from the beaches that face the storm drains of Auckland City.”
I was capable of asking the Sustainable Coastlines Marketing Manager Camden Howitt a few q’s about the clean up, ch ch check it out…
SBW. When you see a ferry full of helpers heading to an island to clean it up, for free, does it make you feel that SC is doing a lot right?
CH. Yes. It makes us realise that there are stacks of people who really do want to give something back to our coastlines. They just need an excuse to actually do so. In providing that excuse and giving people an awesome experience that they won’t forget, yeah, it feels like we’re doing a bit of good for the community.
SBW. Did you find anything interesting during the clean up?
CH. We found treasure of pretty much every shape and form on them thar’ beaches. 85 – 90% of it washes down the gutters and stormwater drains of Auckland city, and gets blown across to these beautiful beaches. We found bottle caps, plastic bags, fishing ropes and nets, tyres, road cones, buckets, cigarette lighters, the list goes on… We even found the proverbial kitchen sink. Arrrrrghhh
SBW. Tell us about the children’s day on Barrier…
CH. A lot of those children had never been on a boat before, let alone to Aotea/Great Barrier Island. They were wide-eyed for the entire trip, and were pretty damn excited to arrive in Tryphena. We picked up a whole heap of rubbish, had a really productive educational session, and even had time for a swim. The kids were all good learners and were soaking in all the right messages – the day couldn’t really have gone any better to be honest.
SBW. If you had to back either Sustainable Coastlines Co-Founder Sam Judd or this Sea Elephant in a fight to the death (for a beach), who would you pick?
CH. Is it a bad-breath-off? If so I’d back Juddy.
You guys rule