School kids and Team Clean gearing up to tackle plastic pollution

Tasmania’s most extreme beach cleaners (that's us) have launched a ground-breaking education program ahead of their annual expedition to clean up some of Australia’s most remote beaches in Tasmania’s spectacular World Heritage Area.

“As a society we are still letting vast amounts of plastic get into the environment. A comprehensive education campaign is the only way to empower the next generation of leaders to act decisively on this global issue”
Matt Dell,  Cleanup Coordinator.

This year, for the first time, students from across Australia will have the chance to learn about the impacts of marine debris first hand via ‘Coast Watchers’, an innovative new education program, as teacher Pat Spiers and student Theo Wolfhagen join the crew through a partnership with the Bookend Trust. 

Coast Watchers aims to help schools investigate the pressing issue of marine debris, through an interactive online blog, lesson plans that are mapped to both primary and secondary school curriculums and resources for schools to conduct beach clean ups in their local area.

Coast Watchers will begin tomorrow, when Team Clean’s crew of 28 hardy volunteers will board four local fishing boats and head to the south-west coast to tackle the wave of marine debris head on. Last year, the team cleaned up a record-breaking 82,815 pieces of rubbish that had washed ashore in Tasmania’s spectacular World Heritage Area.

Coast Watchers will reach hundreds of primary and high school students across the country, with 20 schools signing up to join the program.

“Plastic pollution is trashing some of our most precious beaches. We’re absolutely committed to fighting this toxic wave of marine debris that’s choking our oceans and helping to develop a new generation of coastal custodians,” said Mr Dell.

Check it all out at the Coast Watchers website – http://www.coastwatchers.com.au