Litter-picks?

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watson1959

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I couldnt help notice how much junk there is on the river locally: plastic & glass bottles; packaging etc all washed up into sheltered patches of bank.

Does anyone know of local groups who do clean-up days?

I'm tempted to do it myself.......maybe something an association that represents all Thames Motor Boat users could use to raise awareness?

Just a thought :D
 
The TAC ( Thames Anglers Conservancy ) organises litterpicks from Penton Hook to Teddington .

We work quite closely with them at the lock , they are a good bunch of guys who are committed to the upkeep of the river. Don't be put off that they are anglers , they honestly are a nice group.

You can contact them through their website http://rivertac.org/site/
 
watson1959 said:
I couldnt help notice how much junk there is on the river locally: plastic & glass bottles; packaging etc all washed up into sheltered patches of bank.

Does anyone know of local groups who do clean-up days?

I'm tempted to do it myself.......maybe something an association that represents all Thames Motor Boat users could use to raise awareness?

Just a thought :D
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I may be wrong but I seem to remember many years ago that the RTS (River Thames Society) River Wardens used to do or organise something like this???
 
Brayman said:
I may be wrong but I seem to remember many years ago that the RTS (River Thames Society) River Wardens used to do or organise something like this???
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Thnaks Brayman.....I checked their site and you're quite right: they even ask for help from boat owners in order to reach the parts that a bank-side walk cant.....I've submitted my contact details to offer help when they next organise an event.
 
teddington_lock said:
The TAC ( Thames Anglers Conservancy ) organises litterpicks from Penton Hook to Teddington .

We work quite closely with them at the lock , they are a good bunch of guys who are committed to the upkeep of the river. Don't be put off that they are anglers , they honestly are a nice group.

You can contact them through their website http://rivertac.org/site/
Click to expand...

Thanks TL......I keep getting error messages when I go to this site.....anyone else??
 
Any lock keeper with a large site or island ( Teddington Weir Island / Penton Hook island / Sunbury island etc etc ) will happily provide some bin bags for you should you want to help out with the litter picks.

That is how we came to know the guys from the TAC , someone unknown was doing a regular litter pick on our weir island and leaving the bags by the bridge , hence we would have to go and carry them down to the lock and the skips . We assumed it was boaters and painted a sign instructing them not to leave bags of rubbish there but to bring it to the lock bins. The TAC guys saw this ( they had been assuming that Richmond council had been clearing the bags ) and called in and a happy productive partnership was born.

It's not just volunteers on the lock side that the lockies want to work with. ;)
 
teddington_lock said:
Any lock keeper with a large site or island ( Teddington Weir Island / Penton Hook island / Sunbury island etc etc ) will happily provide some bin bags for you should you want to help out with the litter picks.

That is how we came to know the guys from the TAC , someone unknown was doing a regular litter pick on our weir island and leaving the bags by the bridge , hence we would have to go and carry them down to the lock and the skips . We assumed it was boaters and painted a sign instructing them not to leave bags of rubbish there but to bring it to the lock bins. The TAC guys saw this ( they had been assuming that Richmond council had been clearing the bags ) and called in and a happy productive partnership was born.

It's not just volunteers on the lock side that the lockies want to work with. ;)
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Nice one......any idea if your colleagues do something similar at Reading/Sonning?
 
I am a member of the TAC and they organise many litter picks on the lower river helping to improve the environment/look of the river ,Anglers being proactive is a very rare occurrence but this organisation proves it can be done Steve
 
This thread is great,

showing that there is an interest in river users working together for a common purpose - so much easier setting things up "electronically", with the advantage that others can see what is happening without having to join a club or whatever.

(I'm NOT having a dig at organisations BTW)

Give Keith at Sonning or Tania at Caversham a bell - mention the forum if you like as they are both aware of folks on here.

As T_L says lockies welcome a bit of help especially on items that EA have no remit.

Perhaps this great idea could be extended to a bit of scrub clearance which EA won't do - for example the moorings at Wargrave where at least half the length is overgrown. That item needs a bit more organisation.
 
Am an angler and also a boat owner on the Thames :)

Due to the TAC's clean ups, we've filled well over 300 large bin bags Staines down to Tedders. The EA have also lent us barges that we've managed to fill to the brim for junk that doesn't fit in bags.

Many anglers are also boaters and we were concerned about shopping trolleys piling up and causing a navigation hazard at Kingston

http://rivertac.org/site/?p=1598

I have to say there's been a fair bit of boating rubbish, stamped with brand names we'd all recognise from the chandlers. It's rubbish from all walks of life though. One of the worst spots was Hampton Court bridge where commuters had been chucking cans, crisp packets and papers over the bridge (we watched them do it).

What we found is getting a few people together creates momentum and before you know it, you've got good numbers out clearing up, swapping info and stories as they go, so good fun aswell as doing the right thing.
 
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