Parley for the Oceans UK Tour
We partnered with our friends at Parley for the Oceans to design & produce their UK clean up tour - making our way round the SW coast cleaning up beaches & waterways and meeting incredible ocean advocates along the way.⠀
Travel Journal -
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Our first weekend kicked off at The Wave in Bristol, leaning into our #bluemind with a phenomenal crew from the Royal Marines. After a surf session the team headed to the Severn Beach for a clean up and time to reflect on our relationship with the ocean. What it gives us, in terms of mental health benefits and connection to nature - and what we need to give back - protecting & regenerating coastal & inland waterways.⠀
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Massive thanks to all the team at @thewave @wavemakernick@royalmarines @thermcharity & @the_grumpy_surfer_podcast for making it happen⠀
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Then we shifted locations to the River Avon to meet up with founder of City to Sea, Natalie Fee whose organisation is doing epic work when it comes to upstream solutions in plastic pollution. They've just launched Refill app 2.0 - designed to help people live with less plastic. Go download it now !⠀
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We were joined by one of our Protect Blue crew, David Altabev- ocean advocate, photographer & smart cities consultant, exploring how tech can help us build a more regenerative future.⠀
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Day two of our first weekend was allll about the incredible women who are dedicated to protecting our ocean. From Bristol, we headed up the coast to Llangennith beach to meet up with the @daughtersoftheseamag gang. A collective of women celebrating the culture of cold water surfing. @coryhughes @laura.truelove & @chrissie_baldwin have created an amazing magazine inspired by the women of Wales. ⠀
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We were lucky enough to clean up the beach & then jump in the water with them for a surf to celebrate all things ocean.⠀
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Saturday afternoon saw us back on the road, heading north to the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast and the small village of St.Davids. We met up with @ellieewart17 - illustrator & ocean advocate using her creative skills as a force for good 🌊🙌⠀
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Day three was spent on the beaches of the Pembrokeshire with the amazing crew from @tyfadventure⠀And of course, we ended up going on an adventure :) We took kayaks, paddleboards and a boat and headed to a remote beach that can't be accessed by foot and removed 102 kg's of plastic. Back at TYF HQ we ran a design thinking workshop exploring how we might increase & encourage local engagement on the issue of plastic pollution.⠀
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Massive thanks to the team at @tyfadventure for hosting us - you guys are epic. If you haven't already heard of their incredible work (they're a @bcorpuk too - another reason to love them), go check them out, or plan an adventure with them soon !
Week two of our clean up mission kicked off at Croyde, North Devon with a rad crew. A Friday night beach clean that reminds us that we can make a difference in the smallest amount of time. Every action matters. Whether that's a #2minutebeachclean or an after work clean up with friends at the beach - it all counts and it's all worth it.
Day two of our second weekend found us on the beautiful shores of North Devon & Cornwall.
We had an early start with @travelwithapaddle on the beach at Sandymouth - Clare & Beau have blended surf coaching & marine conservation to help people have incredible experiences whilst learning how best to protect our ocean.
Then we headed south to Bude to catch up with @saskiasills, member of the British Sailing Team & Olympic Class Windsurfer. She's working alongside @big_plastic_pledge, a collective of athletes uniting to tackle single use plastic in sport.
Our last stop of the day was at sunset in Padstow with the amazing team at @beachguardian. Father and daughter duo Rob and Marine Biologist @emilystevensonbg are dedicated to engaging, educating and empowering communities against plastic pollution.
Here's what we're realising as we travel up and down the coast - there are incredible ocean advocates everywhere. You just need to seek them out & find ways to connect and support their amazing work.
The last day of weekend two of our clean ups saw us head down to the beautiful coastal town of Falmouth to catch up with a group of marine biology students from the @uniofexeter who are forging career paths that will protect our ocean.
We made the most of the sunshine & travelled south to Plymouth to connect with the amazing team from @nationalmarineaquarium & @oceanconservationtrust - they're doing incredible work to increase ocean literacy across the UK. We're also totally geeking out on their work on restoring & preserving seagrass beds in the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.
Weekend three of our Corona x Parley SW clean up tour and it was a jam packed one !
Day one kicked off in London with the epic team at @thelondonstanduppaddleco in Richmond. Founder James has been part of our Protect Blue family since our very first event in Italy. He's committed to keeping Londoners connected to the water & runs regular SUP clean ups.
We headed across to Islington for our next stop with @webewhatwesea - an inclusive community celebrating people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and abilities changing the face & voice of the outdoors. One of their team is Janaya, founder of @slo.active, an amazing sustainable oceanwear social enterprise dedicated to slow fashion, active women & a clean ocean.
If you've never done a SUP clean up, then seek out a SUP club near you & try it - such a rad way to keep our waterways clean !
Day two saw a reunion of three members of the Henderson Expedition team at Millwall Drawdock. This clean up looked a little different from their last one on East Beach back in June 2019 (one of the most remote places on the planet and also the most densely polluted with plastic) - but the goal is always the same - remove as much plastic as possible from the natural environment.
This team are such a good reminder that true advocacy comes from blending your skills with your passion.
@jonslayer is a former Royal Marine who has dedicated his career to marine conservation. He's worked on coral restoration programs, captured street view for Google at some of the most remote coastal (terrestrial and underwater) locations around the world and has developed an underwater housing for 360 VR @360bubble_
@johnnybriggs is a senior officer with the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project @pewenvironment His work focuses on creating large, highly protected marine reserves in the waters of the U.K. Overseas Territories.
James Beard @henderson_beach_clean is Head of Recycling Services at Valpak. He works with organisations to minimise their waste footprint. Since his return from the Pitcairn Island, he's been sharing his experience with the waste industry, producers, schools and community groups.
Day three of our final weekend on the mainland and we escaped the city and headed south.
First stop was Hayling Island where we caught up with Soraya & Sally. @sorayaearth is an award winning sustainable travel writer & @planetearthowl is a geographer & teacher. They're also both part of the @exxpedition_ crew - operating all-female sailing voyages investigating ocean plastic pollution.
Then we headed to Bournemouth to meet another gang of epic ocean advocates - @hannahmills_gbr is an Olympic sailing champion and founder of @big_plastic_pledge - Athletes + the sporting community uniting to tackle single use plastic in sport. And one of @protect.blue 's collab buddies @tamara_blyth who worked with us on an epic @realpreciousplastic project last year.
And of course, we can't forget our own team - @lockedonmedia & @tasss_c who've battled a blend of covid & UK weather obstacles to make this tour happen !! You guys rock 🙌🌊
And that's a wrap ! 21 beach cleans across the SW of the UK and the Channel Islands over the last 3 months with @parley.tv & @corona
Our last stop - home.
Two clean ups with friends & fellow ocean advocates, on two sides of the island. Both wildly different - One at Havre des Pas, St.Helier - A more urban clean up, with the usual suspects showing up - cigarette butts, straws, earbuds and all the stuff that has been dropped on the beach or on the streets nearby.
And a nurdle hunt at Ouaisne, St Brelade, focusing on a super small but densely polluted area of the coast - with 90% of the rubbish coming from the sea to the land. A good reminder that we need multiple solutions to solve this issue.
Our biggest takeaway from this tour ? Just how many incredible people there are across the UK who are dedicated to keeping our coastlines & waterways clean.
Massive thanks to each and every person who has joined the tour - we're so damn grateful you exist. Our ocean is a healthier place because of you 🙏🌊