Sea Turtle Foundation cleans up The Strand beach in Townsville in preparation for turtle nesting season.
On the 13th of October 2024, the Sea Turtle Foundation in collaboration with JCU student society, and Turtle Love and Conservation, hosted an onshore turtle nesting beach clean-up! A group of dedicated volunteers gathered at The Strand’s foreshore for a much-needed beach clean-up of the area, supported by Pure Planet. Armed with gloves, garbage bags, and a shared commitment to protect the environment, volunteers set out to make a difference, one piece of rubbish at a time.
The sun was shining as our volunteers set out along the shoreline to begin the clean-up. With a large amount of rubbish present, it wasn’t long before everyone was fully immersed in the task at hand.
Throughout the day, there was a constant flow of conversation about the impact of plastic waste on marine life, the importance of reducing our single use plastics, and ways we can all contribute to cleaner beaches. The team worked together efficiently, using tools to pick up rubbish while ensuring that recyclable materials were kept separately from the general rubbish.
What We Collected: The Numbers
● Plastic items (including plastic bottles, bags, straws, bottle caps and wrappers)
● Cigarette butts and vapes
● Food wrappers and packaging (including take away containers, milk cartons and food labels)
● Glass bottles
● Syringes
● Metal cans: 15 pounds
● Miscellaneous items (including clothing, shoes, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, and sanitary items)
● Personal items (including a phone, wallet, and powerbank)
● Fishing gear (fishing line, rope)
The overwhelming majority of the collected items were plastic, highlighting the need for further education and action to reduce plastic waste. Plastic pollution continues to be one of the most pressing environmental issues, as it poses a serious threat to marine life and the overall health of the ecosystem.
the weirdest finds
While the majority of the trash was made up of everyday items, volunteers collected a variety of oddities, including:
● A traffic cone
● A wallet and phone
● A shopping trolley
● A powerbank (which was still in working condition!)
These strange finds serve as a reminder of just how far-reaching human activity can be, even affecting remote coastal areas. It’s essential that we continue to take responsibility for our waste and ensure that such items are disposed of properly.
After packing up, our volunteers were thanked for their efforts with a beach BBQ and soap bar donated by Pure Planet. This clean-up event was a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together for the planet. Let’s keep the momentum going and
continue to work towards a cleaner, greener future for all.
We cannot wait to host future beach clean-ups within sea turtle nesting regions throughout 2025!
THANK YOU!
A huge thank you to Pure Planet Club whose generous sponsorship and support made this event possible. Their commitment to supporting environmental initiatives is commendable and their funding helped cover the costs of organizing the clean-up, providing supplies and refreshments for volunteers. Another massive thank you to our volunteers who took time out of their weekend to get involved and contribute to our beach clean-up for the sea turtles!