Castle Semple Cleanup

MagiKelly · May 11, 2009

In the background the red canoe you can see is is a cedar and canvas canoe that driftwood has just finished making. It will shortly be getting listed on ebay with part of the proceeds going to Teenage Cancer trust. All those who saw it were very impressed, however, it was decided it was perhaps best not to christen it by filling it with rubbish.

On the other hand in the background you can see Mick with a Grumman canoe he has to deliver to a friend and he seems quite happy to fill it with junk

. Still one way of testing it

So off we went. the water level was a good foot higher than normal and as a result there was a lot less litter than normal round the edges, however it was not too long before I had the obligatory traffic cone and the start of my first bag of rubbish.

It was not long before we realised you needed to get right into the reeds to get the best pickings

And poling round the edges helped to give a better view of what was on the banks so you could direct others.

Did I mention it was a glorious day for a paddle

Some kind fishermen left us some scales to weigh our finds, along with a pair of pliers, two rod bags, hand gel, plastic bags, fish wrappers and old hooks and line :banghead:

Teuchter assures me he was here to pick up litter and not just enjoy the sunshine

Driftwood was very proud of his "pole with hook", which he used to great effect to get to rubbish we would not have otherwise been able to reach.

Bluecanoe found a trike but Driftwood was determined to be the first one to try it out.

but after a short tussle Bluecanoe managed to get it back in his canoe

It was well after lunchtime and Teuchter had to leave us for family duties so we decided to stop for a proper brew stop complete with kelly kettle.

We were at the top of the loch now and the river section was next. Packman had to leave us after lunch again to fulfil some family commitments and again the rubbish he took away is missing from the final haul photos.

On the river there was a large plastic sheet wrapped round a submerged log. We had quite a battle to free it. A couple of times we thought it was staying in and we were going to go in with it but eventually we managed to get it out. Some of the canoes were starting to look a bit full. Here is driftwood in my 17 foot prospector he was using.

Apart from the plastic sheet the only real litter on the river section was fishing equipment tangled in the trees. The rest having been washed further down stream with the high water levels.

From the river we headed back to the visitor centre. the side of the loch with the path being cleaner than the opposite bank but still with pockets of rubbish here and there.

Back at the visitor centre it was time to unpack. Here we have displayed a rubber fishing lure that was the subject of much envy from Driftwood. Even with his trademarked "hook on pole" he could not attain such treasures.

the other canoes telling the story of the haul, first the canoe Mick was testing for a friend :27:

And my two with the left one being the one I was in and the one on the right piloted by Driftwood. We had been pretty competitive all day to see who get the most rubbish the hardest to get to piece etc but in the end it was decided the environment was the winner.

Mick had brought a twin axle trailer for the rubbish and I had thought this excessive but when we go back it turned out to have been a great idea. it saved filling all our cars.

Now remember that as well as the above there was another 3 bin bags of rubbish from the Ginger Paddlers, Maz and Connor plus a couple of bin bags of rubbish taken by Teuchter and some more by Packman. Frighteningly this was with the loch being quite a bit cleaner than normal. So whilst things are getting a bit better there is still a long way to go.

As well as the usual bottles, cans, plastic bags, wrappers, fast food containers, paper etc we found a car wheel and tyre, twp traffic cones, bear crate, punch bag, trike, buckets, a piece of gas main, camp chair (not just a camp chair and M & S camp chair), fishing lures lines and hooks galore, 7 or 8 buoys and much more that had no place being where it was.

I would like to than all those who came along and helped. I had a great day and hope you did too but either way it was fantastic to see the commitment to help clean up the loch and river.

So not really a bushcraft blogg but a full 8 hours out int eh fresh air and a great sense of accomplishment at the end.

scrogger · May 11, 2009

Excellent job MK. I saw something similar done a while ago so recently did a clean up of some local woodland with the scouts im a leader at we filled 24 black bin bags!!! We are going to make it an annual event now. It just seems to make you feel better doing your bit.

Brill!!

Regards

Andy

Shewie · May 11, 2009

Good on you John

It's a shame we have to clean up after the fishermen/neds and everyone else but like you say every little helps.

stooboy · May 11, 2009

I like the idea, shame it needs to be done

well done to all who participated.
Stoo.

Barn Owl · May 11, 2009

Well done John and the lads.

dwardo · May 12, 2009

Looks like a job well done.

I am allways amazed that people who want to enjoy the rivers and lakes seem intent on making it a rubbish tip and endangering the wild life. My local pond is packed full of rubbish left by so called fisherman, not to mention the damage to the trees., the trees that provide the habitat for their game :banghead:

Grooveski · May 12, 2009

Jeez, look at all that junk.

Good on you guys!

MagiKelly · May 12, 2009

Grooveski said:
Jeez, look at all that junk.

Hope you are not talking about the canoes

Grooveski · May 12, 2009

Not at all.

....although now you mention it canoes rarely look their best when they land at that spot.

traderran · May 18, 2009

Looking good there

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Castle Semple Cleanup

MagiKelly

Making memories since '67

scrogger

Native

Shewie

Mod

stooboy

Settler

Barn Owl

Old Age Punk

dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through

Grooveski

Native

MagiKelly

Making memories since '67

Grooveski

Native

traderran

Settler

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