River Wensum Spring Clean on Saturday the 23rd of March at Anderson’s Meadow
With spring just around the corner and the daffodils blooming along the river it’s time for Norwich Green Party campaigners and the local community to get together on Saturday 23rd March for another clean-up session around the River Wensum. Starting at 10.30 am down by the river at Anderson’s Meadow, this is the sixth year that volunteers have been out in canoes retrieving rubbish from the water and on the banks with bags and litter-pickers.
They will be joining the many thousands of other members of the public taking part in the Keep Britain Tidy group’s ‘Great British Spring Clean’. Running during March and April, this countrywide event aims to involve everyone who cares about their local environment in taking practical steps to keep it clean and unpolluted.
The BiGScuba divers will be there to clear rubbish from the sides and bed of the river and local groups such as Friends of Train Wood and GoodGym volunteers will be helping on the banks.
The efforts of these campaigners are also contributing to United Nations World Water Day which is held on the 22nd of March. This event celebrates water wherever it is on our earth and aims to raise awareness of the 2 billion people still living without access to clean water.
We also hope to conduct some water testing and will be discussing citizen science, river pollution and actions planned to address effluent discharge.
Gary Champion, Green Party Councillor for Sewell said:
“Water is critical to all aspects of our lives; we cannot live without it. So, although World Water Day is about taking action to tackle the water crisis globally, community action such as this is an ideal way to get everyone involved in looking after the water in their local areas. Clearing plastic rubbish and other litter from around the river will prevent it being washed down into our seas and oceans and thus help tackle the increasing pollution of the marine environment both practically and symbolically.”
We very much appreciate Norwich City Council’s help with disposing of the rubbish collected, which can be considerable.
Everyone is welcome to come along to this community event this Saturday at Anderson’s Meadow at 10.30am; bags, gloves and litter pickers will be supplied (although you are encouraged to bring your own if you have them). Further information from Gary Champion at g.champion@cllr.norwich.gov.uk
