India Pearson
Emily learns more about India’s incredible 28-mile journey along the Military Canal, raising awareness and fundraising to provide litter picking equipment to help others clear up the coastline.
Traversing the canal, India Pearson.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 150 million tonnes of single-use plastic is produced worldwide, with 8 million tonnes ending up in our oceans. Plastics make up a huge proportion of litter collected in our waterways and around coastlines around the world.
The fight against litter and more specifically, marine and waterway pollution, was brought more into the public eye in 2017 in the BBC’s production of the second installation of ‘Blue Planet’. Since seeing how wildlife is affected by the decisions that humans make, the world seems to have adjusted the way in which we think about our single-use habits and used this documentary, and others like it, as inspiration for change.
Activists have used this opportunity to take a stand and act to show others how dire the issue of plastic pollution has become, and act to educate and promote how we could be acting to improve the situation
One such activist is India Pearson, a Stand Up Paddleboarder. In June, India set out along her local canal to paddleboard along a 28 mile stretch collecting all of the litter that she found.
India Pearson
India lives in Kent, near the Military Canal, which is one of her favourite spots to walk her dog. She had noticed on her walks that there was a build-up of litter and other waste left behind by passing fishermen, so she decided to do something about it. India writes:
“One day, walking along the Military Canal in Hythe I spotted a drinks can in the water, I fished it out and that is where the idea landed. I could paddleboard the length of the Military Canal, 28 miles, litter picking as I go! Days of research followed and the idea began to grow”
Her litter picking adventure took place on the 19th of June this year, and it took India and her incredible support team an impressive twelve-hours to traverse the canal, with friends, family and local people cheering her on. Upon being asked further why India decided to take this litter picking trip India writes:
“Do you ever get an idea in your head that just won’t go away - and the only way to do something about it is to make the idea happen! I spend most of my holiday’s down in Cornwall, exploring this beautiful part of the UK in a camper van. A few years back, whilst heading down to the beach in Bude I spotted an A-Frame board - it read ‘2 Minute Beach Clean’ on the front and attached to the board was litter pickers and bags. The message on the board asked you to spend just 2 minutes cleaning the beach and to take a photo of your beach clean and post it on social media with the hashtag #2MinuteBeachClean to encourage others to do the same.
What a brilliant idea, I thought, 2 minutes is no time at all and if we all did it, what a difference it would make! They were not asking you to clean the whole beach, it doesn’t make you feel guilty for not being able to make every organised beach clean or for that matter solve the entire crisis. It simply says “do what you can’ 2 minutes on every trip to the beach or in fact anywhere, just pick up a few pieces.
After a quick search online I noticed these boards were all over the UK - but there was not one in Hythe where I live, and this is when the idea landed - we need to get a beach clean board in Hythe! As a keen paddleboarder and Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga teacher I had heard of organisations that use paddleboards to litter pick through canals, rivers, and seas. I was looking to do a challenge that would help raise awareness of the problem of litter and plastic pollution to help raise money for a beach clean board.”
As well as obvious things such as cans, crisp packets and plastic bottles, India came across some unusual objects dwelling in the canal. A tyre and three large oil containers were a surprise to find, as well as a small toy boat which India christened “Bertie”. Bertie joined India for the rest of her trip, tied onto the back of her paddleboard.
Bertie the boat, India Pearson
The most shocking discovery for India was a full neoprene Fisherman’s wader suit with attached boots!
“It was sooooo heavy and I was grateful to offload it to the guys in my team when I met up with them. They were still in fairly good condition so it didn't seem right to just put it in the bin. I got in contact with a designer from Deal called Lorna Doyle who rescues wetsuits and transforms the waste material into bags! Lorna was delighted to take in the waders and I am excited to see what she makes from them.”
Collected litter from the trip, India Pearson
All of the litter collected was recorded on the Plastic Patrol app – one of many applications available to beach cleaners to record litter collected by uploading photographs and noting type of litter and where it was found. Citizen science – the collection of data often by surveys and apps such as this, is crucial to understand how the public are making a difference, and can be used to approach brands and companies with the aim of limiting plastic pollution from the source.
As India mentions, there are simple, small ways to make a difference in the world with sustainable actions. The core belief of the 2 minute beach clean initiative, founded by Cornish man Martin Dorey in 2014, is that simple acts can add up to make a big difference.
India adds “I believe small acts can make big changes. Always bringing a reusable mug, water bottle and cutlery with you will mean you never need to use plastic disposable items when you're eating. I also recommend trying to shop locally in farm shops over big super markets as there is less plastic used.”
A huge victory, India Pearson
Though India has exceeded her initial fundraising goal, allowing her to bring a Beach Clean board to her local area, her new goal will allow for two boards and vital picking supplies at her local beach in Hythe. You can find out more and donate here.
If you’re interested in learning more about the 2minutebeachclean initiative, you can learn more about them on their website.
You can check out India’s adventures (and her dog Merlin) on Instagram.
Emily Gilford
Emily is a Zoology BSc (Hons) and Ecology MSc graduate from the University of Exeter, currently based in Cornwall. Her interests lie in animal behaviour and blue health. Over the past few years, Emily has managed The Beach Clean Project in Cornwall, connecting people over a mutual love of keeping our coastlines clean. Emily enjoys being out with her camera spotting wildlife and learning as much as she can. Emily is an online article editor and contributor here at Bloom in Doom. Find her on Instagram @emilygilford