Lochwinnoch Cleanup Weekend 2012
Well another successful cleanup has passed.
Once again the turnout was terrific with everyone getting stuck in and shifting a huge amount of rubbish.
Every year I keep meaning to take more pictures and every year I keep getting too focused on litter picking that I only end up with a few pictures taken, this your was no exception.
Day 1: Saturday the 31st March at Barr Loch
The RSPB were letting us loose on this loch again to clear away the rubbish. From being a little reluctant at first they are now very happy to let us get stuck in.
The mess left by the fishermen who use this loch (no boating or canoeing is allowed) is unbelievable. Away from where the fishermen are we are seeing a year on year improvement with less rubbish to cart away each year.
On Saturday we had the Ginger Paddlers, Tracy and husband, Teuchter, Chaffinch, Bluecanoe, the Smurfs, Peter Dorrington, brother and son,and myself with the girls and Sam the dog.
We split into two groups and worked a side each. The top end of the loch was not to bad but as we reached the sections used by the fishermen the amount of rubbish increased considerably. We knew we were hitting the bad areas when we found a ladder
Gwen has a keen scavenger instinct and was always on the lookout for anything she could use. She was sure she had a use for a plastic headless swan but never quite managed to figure out what that use was.
She found this at the main section where the fishermen "camp". As the next few pictures show this area is nothing short of a disgrace.
Teuchter hard at work.
Chaffinch making a differnce.
Eleanor and Bluecanoe drawing a line between litter picking and archeology.
Gwen, Eleanor and Sam with our second canoe full.
The final haul at the end of day one was impressive and actually much more than the final picture looks like.
I should mention there was also a slap up barbecue lunch provided by the Ginger Paddlers, with Rocky Road by Smurfxx. And at night a social curry night back at the Ginger Paddlers house. So the warm feeling inside could have been the food, the moral satisfaction or the aching muscles
Day 2: 1st April Castle Semple Loch
This loch has had clean ups for a a few years now and we are seeing a difference with this too. There is always new rubbish but we are managing to get all the new stuff and much of the older. This year at last Papa Smurf finally managed to dig out the traffic cone that has been frustrating us for years.
So today we had the Ginger Paddlers, the Smurfs, Tracy and hubbie, Chansaw and both Jnr Chainsaws, Chaffinch, Peppergirl , myself and of course Sam the dog.
The first job today was to give Aird Meadow a clean and recover the RSPB's boat that they had misplaced. It was not the easiest thing to paddle as Jo and Robbie found out. It was no easier when I helped
Once that was back in the right place it was onto the regular rubbish. at first Jo and I were not finding much but then we hit a secret Fishermans camp where the poached on the reserve. We cleared the rubbish as well as the camp chairs.
After lunch complete with a batch of tablet I made last night we headed over to the river mouth to clear the band and drainage ditches.
We managed to fill our canoe for a second time while Myles was collecting bicycles.
By the time we headed back Myles had quite the collection.
We did not get a group shot at the end or of the overall pile of rubbish as it was getting put into a skip as it was brought back. But I can tell you we not only filled the skip but had enough by the side to half fill the one coming tomorrow.
We do the cleanups to put something back but that is really not needed as an incentive. These are great days with great company. The banter and competition to find the most / best rubbish is something to behold. I'm already looking forward to next years clean ups.
Hopefully others will have more pictures. And add them to this blogg.
Well another successful cleanup has passed.
Once again the turnout was terrific with everyone getting stuck in and shifting a huge amount of rubbish.
Every year I keep meaning to take more pictures and every year I keep getting too focused on litter picking that I only end up with a few pictures taken, this your was no exception.
Day 1: Saturday the 31st March at Barr Loch
The RSPB were letting us loose on this loch again to clear away the rubbish. From being a little reluctant at first they are now very happy to let us get stuck in.
The mess left by the fishermen who use this loch (no boating or canoeing is allowed) is unbelievable. Away from where the fishermen are we are seeing a year on year improvement with less rubbish to cart away each year.
On Saturday we had the Ginger Paddlers, Tracy and husband, Teuchter, Chaffinch, Bluecanoe, the Smurfs, Peter Dorrington, brother and son,and myself with the girls and Sam the dog.
We split into two groups and worked a side each. The top end of the loch was not to bad but as we reached the sections used by the fishermen the amount of rubbish increased considerably. We knew we were hitting the bad areas when we found a ladder
Gwen has a keen scavenger instinct and was always on the lookout for anything she could use. She was sure she had a use for a plastic headless swan but never quite managed to figure out what that use was.
She found this at the main section where the fishermen "camp". As the next few pictures show this area is nothing short of a disgrace.
Teuchter hard at work.
Chaffinch making a differnce.
Eleanor and Bluecanoe drawing a line between litter picking and archeology.
Gwen, Eleanor and Sam with our second canoe full.
The final haul at the end of day one was impressive and actually much more than the final picture looks like.
I should mention there was also a slap up barbecue lunch provided by the Ginger Paddlers, with Rocky Road by Smurfxx. And at night a social curry night back at the Ginger Paddlers house. So the warm feeling inside could have been the food, the moral satisfaction or the aching muscles
Day 2: 1st April Castle Semple Loch
This loch has had clean ups for a a few years now and we are seeing a difference with this too. There is always new rubbish but we are managing to get all the new stuff and much of the older. This year at last Papa Smurf finally managed to dig out the traffic cone that has been frustrating us for years.
So today we had the Ginger Paddlers, the Smurfs, Tracy and hubbie, Chansaw and both Jnr Chainsaws, Chaffinch, Peppergirl , myself and of course Sam the dog.
The first job today was to give Aird Meadow a clean and recover the RSPB's boat that they had misplaced. It was not the easiest thing to paddle as Jo and Robbie found out. It was no easier when I helped
Once that was back in the right place it was onto the regular rubbish. at first Jo and I were not finding much but then we hit a secret Fishermans camp where the poached on the reserve. We cleared the rubbish as well as the camp chairs.
After lunch complete with a batch of tablet I made last night we headed over to the river mouth to clear the band and drainage ditches.
We managed to fill our canoe for a second time while Myles was collecting bicycles.
By the time we headed back Myles had quite the collection.
We did not get a group shot at the end or of the overall pile of rubbish as it was getting put into a skip as it was brought back. But I can tell you we not only filled the skip but had enough by the side to half fill the one coming tomorrow.
We do the cleanups to put something back but that is really not needed as an incentive. These are great days with great company. The banter and competition to find the most / best rubbish is something to behold. I'm already looking forward to next years clean ups.
Hopefully others will have more pictures. And add them to this blogg.
