Acclaimed ocean environmentalist, Tim Silverwood, joined students from St Columba Anglican School (SCAS) to clean up local beaches and inspire a new generation to embrace the global war on waste.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Silverwood is the award-winning ocean advocate behind the Take 3 for the Sea campaign. He also appeared on the popular ABC television series War on Waste.
A keen surfer, Mr Silverwood became alarmed at the increasing risks plastic pollution posed to oceans and wildlife. Then in 2011, he sailed 5,000km across the North Pacific Ocean to study the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
He shared his experiences and his message about protecting the marine environment and joined students in a beach walk clean-up on September 25.
The walk began at Tacking Point Lighthouse and followed the Coastal Walk back to Town Beach. The rubbish collected on the day was catalogued and recorded by the students and then added to the Tangaroa Blue International Marine Debris database.
“The Take 3 for the Sea campaign has taken off globally and been adopted via the hashtag in 129 countries,” Mr Silverwood said.
“We have a global footprint in every continent except Antarctica and more than 300,000 school students have participated in our program.”
What might start out as something small can end up as something great if everyone does it to make a difference.
- Tim Silverwood
Since 2009, the campaign has put its weight behind a global change to reduce plastic pollution through its clean beach initiative.
The concept is simple – take three pieces of rubbish from the beach when you leave.
Alongside surfing enthusiast, Amanda Marechal and marine ecologist, Roberta Dixon-Valk, Mr Silverwood said the power of social media and the platform for conversation it creates means the message has real power for change.
“What might start out as something small can end up as something great if everyone does it to make a difference.”
Mr Silverwood’s visit was arranged by Chris Tejcek, secondary teacher at St Columba, as part of Marine Protection Week at SCAS.
Mr Tejcek believes the message of Mr Silverwood will help students to understand more about the impacts of human activities on the ocean.
“Port Macquarie is famous for its amazing beaches and waterways and we need to teach our students to protect and preserve these fragile natural assets,” Mr Tejcek said.
“By bringing in a renowned environmentalist like Tim Silverwood, who has seen first-hand the devastation of marine areas in other parts of the world, our students will gain a greater insight into the importance of protecting our ocean for future generations.”
The visit is part of a week of activities in which SCAS students will work together to develop creative and practical solutions to environmental problems in our oceans.