Local community programme, East Halton RiverCare, celebrated their first anniversary over the weekend. To mark the occasion, they spent the day clearing waste from the shore of the Humber Estuary.
The volunteer programme is delivered by Keep Britain Tidy, a national environmental charity, in partnership with Anglian Water, and supported locally by the Humber Nature Partnership, Able UK, North Lincolnshire Council and Humberside Police.
Since they established on 19th September 2020, the group have cleared over 1500kg of litter, and covered 3.5 square kilometres of the designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Before the RiverCare team set their sights on caring for the area, it was easy to find rubbish that had been left behind along the foreshore at East Halton Skitter. Mattresses, nappies, wet wipes, glass bottles, plastic bags, tyres and a bathroom suite were all present. These items pose a risk to wildlife and local residents alike, as well as being unsightly.
Over the course of 8 river clean events, 127 bags of waste have been removed, including 867 cans, 806 plastic bottles, 153 glass bottles, 4 car tyres, a gas mask and a Mr Potato Head toy.
The Humber Estuary is a European Marine Site and a wetland of international importance that supports a massive number of wildfowl and waders which regularly use the mudflats and saltmarsh. The work that the volunteers undertake in removing litter pollution is absolutely crucial in keeping the area as clean, safe and natural for those key species as possible.
Catherine Holborn from Keep Britain Tidy said, “The impact the team have made in the area is vast; at their inaugural clean up during the pandemic, the team removed a whopping 320 cans, 210 plastic bottles and 46 bags. Compared to the 23 cans, 41 plastic bottles, and 12 bags volunteers collected this weekend, we can see the levels of waste found at the Skitter has been significantly reduced in just one year, thanks to the efforts of East Halton RiverCare.”
Jackson Sage from Humber Nature Partnership said “The area had been viewed by some as a ‘no-go’ area in the past due to huge amounts of litter being dumped and frequent issues with anti-social behaviour. Over the past 12 months it has been fantastic to see the community come together with the support of Humberside Police and Able UK to return the site to its former glory for both residents and local wildlife”.
And the group don’t plan to stop caring for the Skitter any time soon. As well as maintaining the beauty of the foreshore with regular river cleans, they are helping to track and monitor important local species through wildlife surveys.
For more information and to join in with a river clean or wildlife survey, email rivercare@keepbritaintidy.org or follow them on Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/RiverCare/
