Provisioning up the trip

Our good friends at the Wursthaus have looked after us once again with a giant Esky load of fine produce. They have been supporting the SW Marine Debris Cleanup since 2001 and hopefully next year we'll be taking one of their chefs around the coast as part of the deal!


Sam Loney dropped by and unloaded 20 Cartons of his fine Gillespies Ginger Beer. Volunteer Jo Goldfinch helps unload the drinks.

MEDIA RELEASE

MEDIA RELEASE – 31st March 2010

Easter Hunt: Marine Debris Cleanup of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, south west coast

This Easter three boat loads of passionate volunteers will scour the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area hand-collecting garbage from the beaches of the rugged south west coast. Marine debris causes massive levels of pollution on our beaches and the long and painful death of huge numbers of marine life.

The cleanup has been running since 1999 and is the longest remote area baseline marine debris survey in Australia. Since it began 12 years ago, over 50,000 items of rubbish have been collected and itemised. All rubbish is sorted into recyclables with the remainder sent to landfill. The collected data* provides information regarding changes in rubbish types and amounts. When this information is combined with oceanic circulation models it helps determine where the rubbish is coming from.

This year the cleanup is run as a WILDCARE special project. WILDCARE Inc is the largest and fastest growing incorporated environmental action group in Tasmania, with membership of around 3000 individuals.

This year's cleanup is also gratefully supported by Dave Wyatt of Southern Ocean Adventures as well as other local fishermen Kent Way and Dean Hulton and a volunteer crew of 12. The outdoor clothing company Patagonia and Pennicott Wilderness Journeys are the major sponsors providing generous financial support for fuel, boat charter, food and kitting out the team with appropriate clothing. The Wursthaus Kitchen, Cascade and Gillespies Ginger Beer are also giving support to keep the crew provisioned for the week-long trip.

Follow us on the Daily Blog at : http://wha-marinedebris.blogspot.com/

Further Enquiries:

Matt Dell
Email: mattdell@tpg.com.au
Mobile: 0419 922 887
Satellite phone: 0414 649 464 from Friday 2nd of April 2010

* Statistics and photos available on the blog

PENNICOTT WILDERNESS JOURNEYS jump on our boat

Pennicott Wilderness Journeys continue their strong commitment to environmental causes in Tasmania as the second major sponsor for this years cleanup. Pennicott Wilderness Journeys will cover the costs of provisioning the boats.

Rob and his family along with WILDCARE have set up the Tasmanian Coast Conservation Fund to provide support to the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service in their work of managing the national parks, marine reserves and marine wildlife along the spectacular coastlines of Tasmania.

Rob's Multi Award winning Bruny Island and Tasman Peninsula Cruises give locals and visitors to Tasmania a taste of the wonderful wilderness experience possible on the Southern Tasmanian coastline.  Their business mission statement is:

"To operate a business that reveals the splendour and wonders of this very special place we call home, Bruny Island, the Tasman Peninsula and Tasmania. We strive to educate and excite all who visit and to create a legacy of conservation to preserve the island we love for future generations. Through our success our ultimate aim is to use our financial success to reinvest into the local community and the environment that we live and work in."

  

Rob is well acquainted with the rugged South West Coast of Tasmania having spent many years at sea as a professional fisherman, and was lucky enough to be walking along what he noted was a very clean beach in Port Davey only days after we had cleaned it last year.

The skippers and volunteers thank Rob and his family for their generous donations.   

PATAGONIA step up as major sponsor

Patagonia Australia have today been announced as the major sponsor for the cleanup for the next two years. Patagonia will cover the costs of chartering the 'Velocity' as well as providing some of their high quality product to the participants.

Patagonia as a company have a long history of socially and environmentally aware products and practices stemming from its founder Yvon Chouinard's early life rock climbing and surfing in California.  Patagonia has been donating 10% of global profits to environmental causes just like the Marine Debris Cleanup since 1986. Yvon along with Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies started 1% for the Planet in 2001, a group of over 1200 companies who also donate 1% of their sales to groups trying to save our planet.

Patagonia's Mission Statement best sums up the companies ethos "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.".

The cleanup team thank Patagonia for their generous donations and hope to build this relationship into the future.

WILDCARE joins the team

This year the South West Marine Debris Cleanup is being run under the Wildcare Tasmania banner. This association ensures that the ongoing Marine Debris cleanup effort in the South West World Heritage Area can continue into the future. The South West Marine Debris project becomes one of many Special Programs run under the WILDCARE umbrella. In future cleanups Wildcare will allocate a limited number of rewards based positions on the cleanup. Each year Wildcare runs a variety of events throughout the state, to see whats happening in your area check out the Calendar of Events.

WILDCARE Inc is the largest and fastest growing incorporated environmental action group in Tasmania, with membership of around 3000. Wildcare undertakes volunteer work (around 100,000 hours per year) supporting natural and cultural heritage conservation and reserve management throughout the State. Work is undertaken in reserves, on private land and even in offices, in close partnership with a number of government agencies who have responsibility for managing our environment. Wildcare provides around $40,000 each year, from its own funds, through a Small Project Grants Scheme to support the volunteer activity that  members undertake.

Thanks WILDCARE without your support this trip would not be possible.

Crew is getting ready

We now have three boats heading around the coast on the 1st of April. The Velocity skippered by Nick Harris will once again be the mothership. This 53 foot Westcoaster will be the main repository for all the rubbish collected during the trip as well as the restuarant each night and jamming space after dinner.

The Cheiftan G skippered by Dave Wyatt will be taking part in its 6th cleanup trip and will be the grommet boat with Dave son Oscar and young Hamish Renwick learning the ropes as deckhands to pay their way.

Deano Hulten skippering the Miss Carmen rejoins us this year his new boat will be a welcome addition to the fleet

Skippers Dave Wyatt, Kent Way, Rod Behrens and Stuart Atkins. Sponsor night Cleanup 2009

Now its just fingers crossed for a nice long calm Autumn.

2010 Cleanup Trip

The team has been assembled and weather permitting we will be departing on the 2nd of April for a week of Beachcombing on the remote beaches of Tasmania's South-West World Heritage Area.

This year we welcome a new group of sponsors with Patagonia and Pennicott Wilderness Tours providing financial support and Wildcare, Cascade, The Wursthaus Kitchen and Gillespies Ginger Beer providing in kind support.