Clean Coasts received overwhelming support and commitment from volunteers and communities across Ireland for the Big Beach Clean last weekend.

This year, a record number of over 600 clean-ups were organised by volunteers who removed over 95 tonnes of litter nationwide, making this Clean Coasts’ largest clean-up event yet.

In County Kerry, over 30 groups and over 650 volunteers removed an estimated 4 tonnes of marine litter with clean-ups taking place in various locations.

Continued below…

There was a great turnout in Banna for the event collecting many bags of rubbish.

Meanwhile, Transition Year students from St Joseph’s Secondary School in Ballybunion, Kerry who collected 30kg of rubbish in their Big Beach Clean on Friday 20th, including numerous plastic bottles, glassware, broken flip-flops, socks and a new football.

Volunteers from Ballyheigue Tidy Towns cleared around 90kg of litter and maritime waste in their Big Beach Clean on Saturday 21st September.

Clean Coasts joined forces with Kia Ireland who supported the initiative this year by providing clean-ups kits and supplies to volunteers throughout the country.

The Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action that runs as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy and invites communities and volunteers around the country to remove litter from around the Irish coast after the end of the bathing season.   Scroll down for photos…

TO celebrate World Wildlife Day, the community in Tralee came together on Sunday morning to attend the first Clean Coasts Roadshow of the year in Kerry, which entailed a birdwatching event.

Clean Coasts teamed up with Tralee Tidy Towns to run a birdwatching walk on Cocklelshell Beach in Tralee with Ed Carty.

Ed is a very knowledgeable birdwatcher, interesting and informative, who ran a magnificent walk and talk on the wild birds of the Special Protection Area and the beaches around Tralee and the wider Tralee Bay area.

Continued below…

Trisha O’Halloran from Fenit Coast Conservation gave a talk on their seagrass project and did a litter pick as the rest of the group listened to Ed’s stories and observations.

Elaine from Clean Coasts gave a talk about the ‘Think Before You Flush campaign’. “The walk was relaxed, enjoyable and very interesting. Some goats even came to see the group when we returned to our starting point,” she said.

The Clean Coasts Roadshow is a series of informative talks and workshops tailored for coastal communities across Ireland, taking place between January and May each year. This initiative brings together individuals interested in protecting their local beaches, seas, and marine environments.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

CLEAN Coasts has announced the shortlist for the annual Ocean Hero Awards and there are a number of Kerry groups and individuals on the shortlist.

The Clean Coasts’ Ocean Hero Awards pay tribute to the exceptional contributions made by Clean Coasts volunteers, groups, and communities in safeguarding our coast and marine life.

Established in 2006 as the ‘Clean Coasts’ Merit Awards,’ the accolades initially featured a single category, ‘The Clean Coasts Group of the Year.’

Continued below…

Fenit Coast Conservation were nominated in the “Group of the Year Category”. Fenit Coast Conservation are a relatively new group but have a large footprint. Fenit Tombolo is not large but the group tend to it’s dunes with great care. The group run a lot of events, especially around Heritage Week, where they had a suite of events.

Ed Sheldon, a member of the Fenit Coast Conservation group was nominated in the ‘Individual of the Year’category.

The Maharees Conservation Association were nominated in the ‘Campaigner of the Year’ Category. In 2023, this group stood out for their approach to the promotion of the Think Before You Flush campaign: their marine litter-themed float at the Castlegregory Summer Parade showcased the “Think Before You Flush” message with creative elements like plungers, a wet wipes monster, and a fatberg, provided by Clean Coasts.

Martha Farrell, from the Maharees Conservation Association, was shortlisted in the Individual of the Year Category.

Daragh O’Connor and Timmy Jones – two best friends who live in Maharees –  were also nominated in the Youth of the Year Category for their commitment to Maharees Conservation Association dune management and beach cleaning work this year.

Tralee Tidy Towns were nominated in the Equality, Diversity and Inclution category.  As the population of Tralee town has become more diverse, with many people moving to Ireland, the group has now members from different countries, including Ukraine, Syria and Algeria, as well as local people and Irish people who call Tralee their home.

Banna Rescue, Banna Coastcare & Presentation Secondary School, Tralee were all nominated in the Event of the Year category, because of their series of events to protect their sand dunes.

In April 2023, an event was hosted with over 60 people taking part, fencing off the dune area and installing educational signs. Moreover, Transition Year students from Presentation Secondary School Tralee Students and staff joined Banna Coastcare for a second event, planting marram grass in an area that has become extremely eroded, harvesting the grass from a healthy section of the dunes.

Finally, Abby and Chloe Stephenson, two sisters from Banna Coastcare, were shortlisted in the Youth of the Year category.

These two young volunteers have been joining clean ups since 2014, hardly missing an event. In addition to joining group beach cleans, they regularly carry out a #2MinuteBeachClean during their walks on the coast.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

CLEAN Coasts, supported by Cully and Sully, is asking participants to sign up for the Big Beach Clean initiative which takes place next month in Kerry and around the country.

In 2022, over 500 clean-up events took place and volunteers made an incredible impact by removing 42 tonnes of litter from the Irish coast and inland locations.

As Clean Coasts celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023, the aim is to make this year’s Big Beach Clean the most remarkable one yet.

Continued below…

Almost 150 groups have already registered and those wishing to join the initiative can register at www.cleancoasts.org and will they receive free clean-up kit.

Scheduled to take place from September 15th to 17th, the Big Beach Clean is part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), organised by the Ocean Conservancy.

This annual call to action invites communities and volunteers to come together and host a clean-up after the bathing season ends. Additionally, it is an opportunity for volunteers to engage in a worldwide citizen science project.

At Taisce National Spring Clean programme is joining the initiative again and registration for the Big Beach Clean is open to all residents of Ireland, regardless of their proximity to the coastline.

Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager, commented:  “Join us in the Big Beach Clean 2023 and be part of a powerful movement to protect our coastlines. Together, we’ll create a cleaner, healthier environment for all. Sign up at cleancoasts.org and let’s make a lasting impact on our precious coastal ecosystems.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

THE end of the year is always the best time to start thinking about what we want to achieve in the next one and to write down our New Year’s resolutions.

With the “New Year, New You” video campaign, Clean Coasts are asking people in Kerry to choose a realistic and achievable New Year’s resolution, that people can stick to through the year: a #2minutebeachclean.

A promotion video (see below) – produced by Clean Coasts and Cube Media – shows Dave (played by Bryan Quinn) trying to go into 2023 being better and greener by being more conscious of the environment.

Continued below…

However, after several failed attempts, he begins to lose hope until he comes across on a #2minutebeachclean board on the beach and realises that being green can be just as simple.

Taking part in the campaign entails taking two minutes when you are outdoors to remove litter that you see along the way.

Clean Coasts ask for all participants to share images of what they collect on social media, adding the #2minutebeachclean hashtag to the photos to spread the word and inspire more people to take action.

The campaign’s aim is to let people know that they don’t need commit to a huge New Year’s resolution that they may not be able to sustain to the end of the year, but a #2minutebeachclean is an easy pledge to make that is flexible, doable and can be built on as your green year moves forward.

To help people stick to their pledge, Clean Coasts is giving away #2minutebeachclean kits to the first 200 people to pledge to this New Year’s Resolution.

To sign up to receive your own #2minutebeachclean kit, visit the Clean Coasts website at https://cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/2minutebeachclean/ and pledge to do a #2minutebeachclean.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

TWO Kerry-based groups have been shortlisted for the 2022 Clean Coasts Ocean Hero Awards this year.

Fenit Coast Conservation are nominated for the Local Action Award and Maharees Conservation Association CLG are nominated twice in the Beach Clean Award category and the Special Achievement Award.

Clean Coasts announced today the groups, individuals, communities, and businesses who have been nominated in 7 categories for the Ocean Hero Awards for their outstanding work and commitment to their coastlines and areas.

Continued below…

The awards take place on November 22. Each year, the Ocean Hero Awards honour the invaluable contribution Clean Coasts volunteers, groups and communities have made towards conserving our spectacular coastline.

The awards, originally called the ‘Clean Coasts Merit Awards’, were conceived in 2006, consisting then of only one category, ‘The Clean Coasts Group of the Year’.

Banna Beach Coast Care Group took home first place in the Big Beach Clean Award category for Ocean Hero 2021.

THE Big Beach Clean initiative is back, and Clean Coasts, supported by Cully and Sully, are calling people all across Kerry to register to receive clean-up kits and join the world biggest clean-up from from September 16th to 18th.

Last year in county Kerry almost 300 volunteers organised clean-ups in 10 different locations, removing approximately 1.8 tonnes of marine litter. Among these volunteers, Clean Coasts group Banna Coastcare saw a fantastic turnout for the beach clean event, with 67 willing collecting 30 bags of litter.

In 2021, a record number of over 400 clean-ups were organised by volunteers who removed 42 tonnes of litter across the whole country.

Continued below…

This represented a 5% decrease in litter found across Ireland, compared to the previous year campaign, which reflects the incredible work that Irish volunteers do all year round to tackle litter, as well as more conscious behaviours by beach users.

The Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action and this year it will run as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy.

This call to action invites communities and volunteers around the country to remove litter from around the Irish coast after the end of the bathing season.

This initiative is also an opportunity for volunteers to get involved in a worldwide citizen science project, which entails collecting the amount and types of litter on Irish beaches and filling in Clean Coasts’ Marine Litter Data Cards.

This will help heighten awareness about the issue of marine litter serving as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem and help shape future policies and campaigns.

The 2021 results have been shared with Ocean Conservancy and, in Ireland and regionally in Kerry, they have been used to shape Clean Coasts campaigns designed both for registered groups and the general public, tackling the top 10 offenders, such as cigarette butts, plastic bottles and food packaging. To register visit the Clean Coasts website at www.cleancoasts.org

VOLUNTEERS from all around Kerry came out on Saturday to take part in Clean Coasts and Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way Community Clean-ups of Fenit Beach in Kerry.

These events were created by Clean Coasts as part of their summertime Enjoy and Protect campaign with support from Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development who support the long-term sustainable growth in the economic, social, cultural and environmental contribution to tourism in Ireland with the events’ overall aim was to raise awareness to keeping our marine and wildlife spaces clean for locals and tourists alike to enjoy and admire.

Continued below…

This event on Fenit beach in County Kerry included tea and coffee from Mike’s Cafe for all participants.

There were 26 volunteers joining Clean Coasts and Fáilte Ireland in Fenit, removing four bags – approximately 25 kg – of marine litter in one hour.

Both the team and volunteers who joined were pleasantly surprised to find an already very cleaned beach and were delighted with how the day went. Fenit Conservation also joined the event, to give a brief talk about the work they do.

Rachel Geary from the Environmental Education Unit representing Clean Coasts said: “It was a great event and participants had a very positive attitude.”

TWENTY clean ups took place at the weekend with Kerry volunteers answering Clean Coasts’ call to action to protect our ocean this June.

Over 300 volunteers collected two tonnes of litter at the clean-up events held both on land and by the Kerry coast to prevent litter pollution at the source to ensure it does not end up in the ocean.

A key event that took place for World Ocean Day in Kerry included Castlegregory Tidy Towns who did a beach clean-up at Castlegregory beach where they found a fully functioning, abandoned tent, a fire pit in the dunes and a bit of discarded rubbish from beach goers.

Continued below…

Wednesday, June 8 marked the global celebration of World Ocean Day and Irish environmental charity Clean Coasts joined forces with National Spring Clean for the second year running to provide volunteers and communities in Kerry with free clean up kits to host a clean-up in honour of World Ocean Day.

Statistics have shown that the number one cause of marine litter is litter dropped in towns and cities and getting involved in World Ocean Day was a great way for residents of non-coastal counties to help prevent litter entering our waterways by tackling the problem at the source.

The World Ocean Day organisation supports collaborative conservation, working with its global network of youth and organizational leaders in more than 140 countries.

There are still a number of World Ocean Day Kerry events scheduled to take place throughout the month of June with more information at https://cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/world-ocean-day/

CLEAN Coasts and Irish Water are asking the people of Tralee to “Think Before You Flush”.

The Think Before You Flush campaign aims to highlight the problems caused by flushing inappropriate items, such as wipes, down the toilet.

This can cause blockages in homes, the wastewater infrastructure or end up on the beach as marine litter. The campaign is run by Clean Coasts in partnership with Irish Water and is currently in its 4th year.

Continued below…

Each year there are regional campaigns in chosen cities, towns and villages across Ireland and this week in the Wetlands Centre in Tralee the campaign will be attending the Clean Coasts Roadshow Kerry Event 2020 on this Sunday, February 22 from 11.30am to 1pm.

The 2019/20 regional campaigns are based in Mallow, Tralee, Sligo town, Bundoran, Dundalk and Wicklow town.

In each location, the campaign will be running workshops, events and clean ups throughout the year, working with the local community, businesses and schools.

The campaign found that 30% of people are flushing items they should bin, such as wipes and cotton buds, down the toilet with detrimental effects on the wastewater network and the environment. The goal of the campaign is to encourage people to always #thinkb4uflush

Speaking about the campaign Elaine Doyle, Clean Coasts Officer said: “The Think Before You Flush campaign was set up as a result of finding sewage related waste such as wipes on Irish beaches. 80% of marine litter originates from inland sources. Something as simple as a wipe can travel from a flushed toilet to the ocean and finally the beach possibly causing blockages and damage to marine life as it makes its journey. We are delighted to partner with Irish Water to spread this important message. Simply put a bin in your bathroom and always #thinkb4uflush”.

Speaking about the size and scale of the problem associated with flushing the wrong things down the toilet, Colm Ward, Irish Water said:

”Every day people flush thousands of sanitary items such as wet wipes and cotton bud sticks down the toilet instead of simply putting them in the bin. This causes blockages in our network, pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants. These items can also end up on our beaches. We removed more than 8,000 reported blockages from the sewer network last year, dealt with thousands of other blockages during planned work and we have also removed thousands of tonnes of ragging from wastewater treatment plants around the country. We are delighted to work in partnership with Clean Coasts to deliver this important campaign. Placing a bin in the bathroom and disposing of wet wipes and other sanitary items appropriately has a hugely positive impact on the network and the environment.”

More information about the Think Before You Flush campaign can be found athttp://thinkbeforeyouflush.org