3 April 2009
SPRING CLEANING STARTS AT THE
BEACH
On Sunday 29 March a team from Fairbairn
Private Bank joined up with the Manx Wildlife Trust for a beach
clean at The Ayres nature reserve. A motley crew of staff,
children and dogs took time out of their busy schedules to learn
about the area and volunteer to help out.
The brief for the afternoon was to clear the
beach of litter, in particular plastic items, which can take over a
thousand years to degrade. All the volunteers dug deep and
after an hour had managed to fill a pick-up truck with plastic
rubbish washed up on the shore.
Janet Taylor, Fairbairn Private Bank’s
senior marketing executive, commented: “We have sponsored the Manx
Wildlife Trust for many years and felt that this initiative was
really worthwhile - especially when there is so much wildlife being
put at risk from litter. Helping out the wardens and learning
about the nature reserve was very educational and I would recommend
anyone to give it a go.”
Around 80% of waste at sea is from the land
and up to 80% of that is plastic. This litter can be
dangerous to wildlife, either because animals swallow it or because
they get irretrievably tangled up in it. According to the
United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), more than one
million seabirds and one hundred thousand marine mammals are killed
annually by plastics in the seas.
The weather for the afternoon was fine and
there was a good turnout of volunteers to help. The wardens
from the reserve gave an introductory talk and took everyone on a
nature walk, looking at the local wildlife and plants. The
children even got to do some pond dipping. However, after a
picnic lunch of soup and sandwiches, the real hard work
started. Everyone split into two teams: one to erect signs to
protect ground nesting birds from marauding dogs and another to
work on the beach clean.
Ends
Photograph available.
Notes to Editor:
About Manx Wildlife Trust
The Manx Wildlife Trust is the leading nature
conservation charity on the Isle of Man, with concern for both
terrestrial and marine environments.
For more information, visit http://www.manxwt.org.uk/
About Fairbairn Private Bank
Fairbairn Private Bank operates a
comprehensive private and personal banking operation on behalf of a
wide range of clients. These include private individuals, small and
large companies, trusts, governments and institutional investors. A
full range of banking, investment, trust and corporate services can
be accessed through its offices in the Isle of Man, Jersey, London
and its representative office in South Africa.
Fairbairn Private Bank is a member of the Old
Mutual Group.
When referring to Fairbairn Private Bank –
please ensure that the company name is printed in full and not
abbreviated.
For further information:
Lesley Allegro, Fairbairn Private
Bank
Tel: +44 (0)1624 645000
Issued by:
Kara Hughes-Jones, Isle of Man Advertising and
PR
Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)1624 620440