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Love Your Coast Vanuatu

Registered New Zealand Charity - Our Partners
Registered New Zealand Charity - Our Partners

Thanks to

Event impacts

2665

PARTICIPANTS

9460

LITRES

3958

PRESENTATION ATTENDEES

1183

KILOGRAMS

DOWNLOAD RESULTS
https://sustainablecoastlines.org/app/uploads/2014/10/SC-project-report-Vanuatu-lo.pdf

Event Details

Wed
27
Jun 2012

Background

Love your Coast is an ongoing project to help people around the world look after the coastlines we all love. By using the project website, www. loveyourcoast.org, anyone can learn more about the issues affecting our coastlines, find clean-up events, create their own clean-up and share event results. By providing free and easy-to-use resources, the project encourages communities to look after their local environment through simple, hands-on solutions.

We have found through experience that the most effective way to engage in ‘Love your Coast’ is for participants to receive an educational presentation before they clean-up the coast. This develops an understanding about the cause of the issue and is designed to achieve positive behavioural change.

From 27 June to 13 July 2012, three representatives from Sustainable Coastlines visited Port Vila schools in partnership with local NGO Wan Smolbag, raising awareness about the effect that non bio-degradable waste has on marine life and humans once it finds its way into the ocean. This short tour was an introduction to the ‘Love your Coast’ project in Vanuatu and gauged the community need to train local presenters to deliver this important message.

 

Key objectives

  • To introduce the ‘Love your Coast’ project to Wan Smolbag, other NGOs and schools – sharing resources that educate the community on waste minimisation and explain the effect of non– biodegradable waste in the marine environment.
  • To teach Wan Smolbag how to conduct waste audits, which obtains important information on coastal rubbish to then be used for ongoing learning.
  • To gain an overview of the waste management systems currently in place in Port Vila and Vanuatu and identify potential for systems’ improvement and an educational strategy to promote their use.
  • To learn from Wan Smolbag’s experience in effective communications with youth in Vanuatu and other Pacific Islands through theatrestyle presentations and other programs.

Findings

Over the course of the tour 3,958 people attended our educational presentations (mainly school students) and we motivated 2,665 people to remove 9,460 litres of rubbish from school grounds and local coastlines.

Significant media attention was received, with features on national television and radio networks as well as local coverage. This pushed the educational message far beyond the participants who engaged directly and also bodes well for corporate sponsorship being an income source for future work.

Community engagement levels exceeded expectations

We attribute this to the fact that we presented a global, easily understandable issue and solution alongside the use of films/images, which have been proven as a very effective tool for education.

There is a clear need for further educational resources and learning programs

The teachers, principals and community leaders were very enthusiastic about the opportunity for further learning to follow on from the presentations. Most teachers followed up with related lessons afterwards and many asked for a copy of the presentation and advice on where they could find related resources.

It was apparent that during question time or discussion the students did not participate as openly as students in New Zealand. Generally the students have a relatively shy disposition. We would need to look at different ways to engage them in interactive, inquiry based learning to achieve the desired results, either during the presentation or with a follow up activity.

Live entertainment was found to be a great accompaniment for the program

One teacher identified that the presentation was appropriate for her home community and arranged for us to present it one evening at ‘Seaside’. The team presented with a Wan Smolbag hip-hop dance group (New Generation) in support. This mix of entertainment, fun and education proved very effective and demonstrated that the message was suitable for community events as well as school presentations.

Existing leaders proved to be of key assistance

Local NGO Wan Smolbag had set up Environmental Committee Members (ECM’s) at select schools. They quickly engaged in the program and were given additional responsibilities in assisting with rubbish collection and waste audits, to which they responded well. This showed that an opportunity exists to build such leaders capacity and identify more, who could be trained to deliver presentations and programs themselves – suitable for the elder students and not solely limited to school students.

A clear lack of appropriate waste disposal facilities

Many communities in Port Vila, and most places where people live outside Port Vila and Lugainville, do not have adequate waste disposal facilities. Outside of the Port Vila Municipal Council jurisdiction, the communities visited lacked infrastructure to collect and transport the huge amounts of plastic to landfills. In the case of ‘Blacksands’ and ‘Pango’, Wan Smolbag have taken it upon themselves to conduct rubbish removals. A need was identified to help develop this infrastructure and explain its importance to communities.

We found that lack of an adequate waste system made the educational message even more important and still effective, as we focussed on the reduce part of the “reduce, reuse, recycle” triangle. Recycling and proper disposal are often not realistic options until further capacity is developed for these communities.

Locally tailored messages were very effective

Showing local examples of Tagabe River clean-ups and micro-plastics found on Nguna Island had a real impact. References to local solutions for reducing plastic consumption also resonated with participants. Explaining that locally made woven baskets or backpacks were superior to plastic bags and that growing local produce results in eating less prepackaged food were well received examples.

 

Conclusion and future opportunities

It was clear that collaboration with local NGO Wan Smolbag made a crucial difference in the success of this program. Their support in utilising existing contacts at schools, human resources, supplying of equipment when required and logistical help were of undoubted benefit.

It will be important to identify existing NGO partners in further programs of this kind around the Pacific. Positive feedback from Wan Smolbag is encouraging as it shows that many potential NGO collaborators and their communities are likely to benefit from these programs. It was clear that existing school and community leaders were receptive to the idea of further education and training as they were enthusiastic when responsibilities were given to them. This indicates that a capacity building program would be effective in commencing environmental education programs about waste.

It appeared that training programs would be beneficial for a wide range of sectors in the community. Because they can include: delivery of events (which have proven to be effective for large-scale raising of awareness), media training, writing training and tactics for applying for funds, as well as locally specific needs: there would be many people who would benefit from increased skills for a common environmental goal.

In a short time, an appreciation of waste management system capabilities was gained. With more resources, similar programs in the future can include more detailed analysis and investigation into logistical solutions, which can be integrated and delivered concurrently with educational initiatives. We believe this combination will have the maximum effect for communities.

Thanks to

Event impacts

800

PARTICIPANTS

13875

LITRES

3424

PRESENTATION ATTENDEES

1734

KILOGRAMS

DOWNLOAD RESULTS
https://sustainablecoastlines.org/app/uploads/2013/10/LYC-PNG-Report.pdf

Event Details

Mon
15
Oct 2012
-
Fri
30
Nov 2012

This report provides an overview of the work carried-out by representatives from the Papua New Guinea Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (PNGSFOC) Athletes Commission and New Zealand based NGO Sustainable Coastlines from 15 October – 30 November 2012 in setting up the Sport and Environment Program in Papua New Guinea.

Background

To compliment the existing ‘Play Safe’ and ‘Play True’ awareness campaigns under the ‘Voices of the Athletes’ program, the PNGSFOC – through their Athletes Commission – invited two representatives (Ryley Webster and Torrey McDonnell) from New Zealand based NGO, Sustainable Coastlines, to assist in setting up their new Sport and Environment Program.

Sustainable Coastlines is a New Zealand-based charity that coordinates and supports large-scale coastal clean-up events, educational programs, public awareness campaigns, riparian planting activities and other projects aimed at looking after coastlines around New Zealand and the Pacific.

In 2010 Sustainable Coastlines worked with other New Zealand non-profits to launch Love your Coast: an ongoing resource to help people around the world learn how to look after the coastlines we all love and raise large scale awareness about issues faced by communities as a result of non-biodegradable waste. Through the project website, www.loveyourcoast.org, anyone can learn about the issues affecting coastlines, find clean-up events, create their own clean-up events and share their results for free. The project informs and motivates communities to look after their local environment through simple, hands-on educational solutions.

The Love your Coast project was adopted as the initial program to be run under the PNGSFOC Sport and Environment program. It would be implemented in two initial stages, after which an analysis and 3-year plan for further development of the program would be undertaken.

The first stage of this program saw Webster and McDonnell travel to Port Moresby from the 15th October to 29th October 2012 to introduce the resources and presentation techniques that Sustainable Coastlines have proved to be very effective in New Zealand and other Pacific nations. Awareness presentations and presenter/educator training was conducted with 2,104 PNGSFOC staff, athletes, schools and businesses in the lead up to a big public clean-up day at Ela Beach, Port Moresby. This iconic location is also in planning to be the triathlon venue for the 15th Pacific Games in 2015.

The second stage of the program was carried out at the 5th PNG Games in Kokopo, East New Britain, from the 19th to 30th November 2012. Webster (Sustainable Coastlines) and Kila Mala (PNGSFOC) travelled to Kokopo under the Voices of the Athletes program. They delivered educational presentations to 1,320 athletes and team officials and identified leaders amongst the athletes and team management from a number of different provinces to further engage in the program in the coming years.

Key objectives

  • To identify and train existing and potential leaders (with a focus on athletes and sporting representatives) in the delivery of the Love your Coast litter awareness presentation for ongoing dissemination of this message.
  • Increase athletes’ skills for work after their sporting careers.
  • To spread awareness messaging to the general public on the effects of litter in the marine environment and on human health.
  • Motivate people to take positive action to address the issues they face in their local environment.
  • To establish the need and capacity for the ongoing delivery of litter awareness messaging.
  • To share resources and expertise for educating communities on the effects of litter in the marine environment and generally for pro-environmental behavioural change.
  • Establish key contacts from a variety of sectors and provinces to support and contribute to the ongoing nature of the program.
  • To gain an overview of the waste management systems currently in place in Port Moresby and identify opportunities to incorporate locally-relevant waste minimisation education into awareness messaging.

Findings

This project identified a number of findings that will provide a strong background and direction for the further development of the Sport and Environment Program:

Single-use plastic challenge

Throughout the course of the project it was clear that there is a challenge with the amount of single-use plastic products (plastic bags, wrapping, plastic bottles, bottle caps etc.) littering the streets of cities, towns and villages. These plastic items then make their way into drains, streams and rivers, eventually ending up in the marine environment where they have significant impacts on marine life and human health.

A large percentage (estimated at 85%) of the 1.625 tonnes (13,000 litres) of rubbish removed from Ela Beach on 27 October 2012 was made up of single-use plastics further highlighting the connection between littering behaviour on land and its effect on the coastal environment.

It was found that awareness about the effect of littering behaviour in Port Morseby is currently very low. This indicates that education programs will be crucial for this community to go about tackling the challenge: reducing their dependence on single-use plastics and motivating people to dispose of such material appropriately.

Ongoing need for improved waste behaviour

Traditionally, rubbish has been disposed of at sea or on land, which hasn’t posed any major environmental or health affects due to its previously biodegradable nature, however, with the large volumes of non-biodegradable waste (predominantly plastic) now being created, new methods of disposal are required.

Improved behaviour around disposal of waste is clearly required at both an individual and community level.

The litter problem and poor waste disposal practices throughout PNG affects public places and many sporting venues. Littering, dumping and burning of waste are commonplace. This affects tourism, the marine environment and also impacts people’s health: fish that people eat can be contaminated by consuming plastics, toxic smoke from burning rubbish is extremely poisonous and rubbish also makes a perfect home for mosquitos to breed and spread diseases.

Recent data gathered from waste audits in Port Moresby, conducted by the National Capital District Council (NCDC), have indicated that the current waste generation statistics per person are 0.71kg per week. This provides a useful benchmark enabling comparative analysis to gauge the effectiveness of education programs and awareness campaigns going forward.

The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) have commissioned a National Waste Strategy to be implemented in the next 1 – 2 years. Awareness campaigns and educational work should work alongside the national, regional and local level systems that are to be implemented as a result of this strategy.

Inadequate waste managements systems to compliment program

Port Moresby lacks infrastructure and investment in waste relative to the population. To maximise the effectiveness of educational and awareness programs about waste appropriate systems need to be in place to compliment the messaging e.g. sufficient rubbish bins, recycling systems, waste separation, collections and well-designed landfills.

Port Moresby’s population grows annually with urban drift and experiences high population density putting pressure on the capacity of current waste systems. The city’s landfill at Baruni is in the initial stages of re-development, however, arguably, it will not be long before this facility has reached capacity given the increase in waste generation as a result of population increase. (Extrapolated year 2000 census data indicates that estimated solid waste for Port Moresby in 2012 is about 27,000 to 50,000 tonnes and for the year 2014, the projected solid waste for Port Moresby is 49,000 to 71,000).

Investment in facilities, systems and waste infrastructure should occur concurrently with investment in education and understanding around the impacts of waste. Through education young people and communities will see the need for improved infrastructure.

It is likely that less populated areas around the country (including offshore islands) are also experiencing similar issues with lack of waste systems and infrastructure and through education communities can devise locally-specific practical solutions.

Strong education outcomes

Throughout the course of this project 3,424 people received the Love your Coast educational presentation. Through verbal feedback, perceived engagement levels and survey results it was clear that participants found the presentation both enjoyable and that it had a high impact, with strong levels of retention of information and indications of intent to change behaviour in a positive way.

Surveys filled out by 488 athletes, team management, and sporting officials from 11 different provinces, during the PNG Games in Kokopo, indicated that:

  • 79% of participants understood ‘all’ or ‘most of’ the presentation content
  • 70% of participants said that they learnt ‘A lot’ from the presentation
  • 97% of participants would share the information they learned during presentations with others
  • 95% of participants would change their behaviour around littering and disposal of rubbish as a result of what they learned

A full breakdown of the survey results can be found by clicking here.

Ongoing need for coastal clean-up activities

A large number of presentation attendees in Port Moresby (including athletes, team officials, students, private and public sector employees) attended the Ela Beach clean-up event and the activity was widely enjoyed. This indicates that the educational presentation prompted positive action and the clean-up provided an excellent opportunity for participants to act on their positive behavioural intent.

Through the ongoing initiatives set up by BSP (who run an established ‘Go Green’ clean-up and awarenss campaign with over 35 ambassadors throughout PNG) and Inter Oil (among others) coastal clean-up events have become an established community activity. Clean-ups are clearly an important way to reconfirm the connection between littering behavior and the coastline.

Athlete-run beach clean-up events will be an important aspect of the Sport and Environment program in the future, by providing the said opportunity to act and also as a teambuilding/leader training activity that will show athletes in an even more positive light within communities.

Need for further awareness resources

There is an on-going need for people to understand the effects of non-biodegradable waste to enable people to make better decisions around what they consume and how they dispose of it.

It was clear from discussions with a large number of teachers, educators from local council departments, and community members, that there is very little educational content in this field. Further resources are required to deliver and spread the educational message.

A number of educational institutions indicated that they had participated in beach or school-ground clean-ups in the past, however, the students benefited greatly from receiving an educational background to reconfirm the clean-up’s purpose.

Project participants – including athletes, team management, teachers, principals, church leaders, government and municipal council representatives, and community group leaders — expressed enthusiasm for receiving both digital and printed versions of Love your Coast awareness resources.

Locally specific material (imagery and examples) proved particularly effective in engaging participants. Based on this finding it has been decided that resources should be tailored to include local examples when the S&E Prog is introduced to each of the provinces in Papua New Guinea (and across Oceania in other projects). Budget and time will need to be invested for the compilation of this material for the Love Your Coast program to have maximum impact.

Working with athletes proves effective

Athletes and sporting representatives have a unique opportunity to utilise their status within society to advance educational messages. We noticed that when athletes presented to schools and communities, there was a much greater likelihood for communities to adopt better practices around disposal of waste.

This was because people who garner immediate respect through sporting achievements delivered the message and indicates that the broader rationale of up-skilling athletes to deliver environmental messages is sound, boding well for the future of this program.

Kila Mala – a provincial dragon boating representative and staff member at PNGSFOC – proved to be a very effective presenter after receiving training from Webster and McDonnell. They found that school students and community members were more engaged when Mala presented.

Mala accompanied the Sustainable Coastlines crew to presentations with schools and athletes on four occasions prior to presenting to around 1,160 people himself with a similar level of engagement according to the surveys. This is an excellent indication of the training system working in practice.

A representative of the NCD province Hockey team, Milton Angat Giali Kisapai, also attended a number of presentations and proved to be very useful in influencing communities.

Working with athletes improves post-sporting career skills

50 athletes and team management officials attended a presentation techniques workshop delivered by Webster and McDonnell with excellent feedback.

This indicates that athletes are keen to develop such skills, willing to invest their time to develop such skills and also that further workshops would be a well-received and effective tool for improving skills that will assist athletes to gain employment during and after their sporting careers.

By continuing training sessions as started by the PNGSFOC with Sustainable Coastlines, athletes that engage with the program will have the opportunity to gain important life skills such as: public speaking techniques, event management/marketing skills, improved health practices and budgeting.

Media are a key tool and are willing to assist in educating the community

Significant media attention was received throughout the project, with three features on national television, interviews on two radio stations and coverage in the national daily newspapers ‘Post Courier’ and the ‘National’.

This coverage extended the reach of the awareness message far beyond the participants who engaged directly, showed the participation of athletes in a a positive program, creating a large launch and provided a strong precedent to help secure future project sponsorship opportunities.

Sustainable Coastlines has had significant success garnering media attention for programs in New Zealand and the Pacific and are planning to include a workshop for media training as part of what can be offered in this program.

Port Moresby: 15 – 29 Oct 2012

  • EmTV interview and filming whilst presenting to ‘Just Play’ young footballers (Filmed on Wed 24 Oct)
  • Kalang radio interview and talkback (Recorded Tues 23 October)
  • Press release featured in Post Courier and National newspapers (Tues 30 October – see appendix)

Kokopo: 19 – 30 Nov 2012

  • EmTV interview and filming of presentation to Milne Bay province (Wed 21st November)
  • Press release featured in the Post Courier and National newspapers (Fri 23 November – see appendix)
  • Press release featured in the Post Courier Weekend newspaper (Sat 24 November – see appendix)
  • Kundu TV live prime time feature (Wed 28 November)
  • NBC radio interview (click here to listen)

Entertainment & education an important association

The mix of entertainment, fun and education has proven to be successful in past projects and helps to position Love your Coast activities as desirable rather than a community service or obligation.

Throughout the course of the program, entertainment alongside education proved to be an effective method of communicating awareness messaging. Films incorporated into the presentation and theatrical presentation techniques were particularly useful during school and community visits.

During the public clean-up day on October 27th a number of initiatives combined to create a festive and fun atmosphere that enticed the general public to get involved. Alongside music and food for participants, an educational display with images and facts about the impact of non-biodegradable waste proved very popular, as did a live public art piece of the Pacific Games 2015 logo created by national triathlete Mairi Feeger from rubbish picked up on the day.

Strong support from a variety of sectors is promising for future

The initial phase of the Sport and Environment program was widely supported from a number of different sectors despite a short notice period.

Athletes and sporting representatives from a range of disciplines showed very high engagement levels and willingness to be involved with the program on an ongoing basis. This bodes well for Sport and the Environment programs to become an extra incentive for attracting further sponsors to support the PNGFSOC and other NOC’s around Oceania in the future.

Esso Highlands Ltd. was hugely supportive of the initial phase of the Sport and Environment program. Approximately 45 of their staff attended an awareness presentation and about 60 of their staff and family members helped to clean-up Ela Beach.

Three staff members also attended ‘train the trainer’ sessions to learn presentation techniques and content that would enable them to conduct the Love your Coast presentation to their communities. Prior to the launch of the Sport and Environment program ESSO Highlands Ltd. was not a financial sponsor of the PNGSFOC. As a result of their involvement in the program they have since provided significant financial support not only towards the development of the program itself but also to other activities conducted by the PNGSFOC. The growth of this relationship is a great example of how NOC’s can extend their network of sponsors through the implementation of their own Sport and Environment program.

The National Capital District (NCD), Port Moresby, was hugely supportive of the first phase of the program providing equipment and significant human resources.

Operational support for the program also came from BSP, Coca Cola, Steel Industries, the Department of Environment and Conservation, Motu Koita Assembly, numerous educational institutions, church groups, local care groups and sports teams.

Such a wide base of support indicates strong opportunities to build the capacity of a great variety of people in Papua New Guinea through the future development of the Sport and Environment program.

Conclusion

The initial phase of the PNGSFOC’s Sport and Environment Program has proven an ongoing community need for improved waste behaviours, coastal clean-up activities and litter awareness work in Papua New Guinea. It has identified that athletes and sporting representatives can provide an important resource to assist in advancing environmental education messages whilst also gaining important life skills themselves.

It was clear through the enthusiastic and wide-ranging support received from a wide range of sectors, that the program was popular. By connecting simple, individual actions with a common and highly tangible problem, the Love your Coast project provides the perfect opportunity for an achievable community-owned and run solution.

The next stage of development for the Sport and Environment program should look to compliment the existing programs already in place through companies such as BSP and Inter Oil as well as utilise existing networks and organisations with social responsibility focuses to advance messages around improved waste behaviour. The program should also grow alongside and in conjunction with national, regional and local waste management strategies currently in the development stage.

The major objective of future work is to fully train athletes, sporting representatives, community leaders and other interested parties as Sport and Environment ‘ambassadors’ in as many Papua New Guinean communities as possible. These ambassadors would then be in a position to independently conduct ongoing litter awareness, prevention and clean-up activities with the support of the PNGSFOC.

Thanks to

Event impacts

75

PARTICIPANTS

576

LITRES

74

KILOGRAMS

Event Details

Clean-up details

Beach clean-up buses (available when you book your tickets) will leave Auckland between 9.00 and 9.30am from the Tournament Carpark at 34 Sale Street, Auckland City. En route to the festival these buses will stop off at Orewa Surf Lifesaving Club to join the Sustainable Coastlines crew for a clean-up of Orewa Beach. See map above for clean-up location.

For those driving to the festival, you are welcome to join us too. We’ll be at Orewa Surf Lifesaving Club, 275 Hibiscus Coast Highway, Orewa, from 10.00 to 11.15am. So come and meet our team, grab your clean-up gear and give a little love back to this epic coastline.

If you can’t meet us while we’re at Orewa, but would like to clean-up your favourite stretch of coast, you can pick up rubbish sacks from the Warkworth Information Centre (1 Baxter Street, Warkworth) throughout the long weekend (Sat — Mon) from 9.00am to 3.00pm.

Festival details

This Auckland Anniversary Weekend 2012 we are teaming up with a selection of Aotearoa’s most progressive live acts, sustainable initiatives and summer revelry, for the Tuborg Summer Sunday festival and coastal clean-up.

Happening just 45 minutes North of Auckland in the lush surrounds of Matakana Music Mountain, Tuborg Summer Sunday will feature Fly My Pretties, Kora, The Nudge, Little Bushman, Tahuna Breaks, Electric Wire Hustle AHoriBuzz and @Peace.

With sustainability at the core of the festival, we will be spearheading – alongside new eco-lifestyle magazine Element – a range of initiatives to ensure the festival community has a positive impact on the beautiful surroundings.

To fulfill the event’s goal of zero waste, a bustling eco village will be nestled amongst the native bush, offering festival punters valuable and practical environmental information. It will also feature innovative ways to up-cycle materials consumed, including top NZ glassblowers who will be showcasing their art form while diverting waste; and an on-site glass-cutting machine, which will create re-usable drinking glasses out of beer bottles.

To minimise the impact of transport and ensure punters get home safely; a bus service will be running from central Auckland to the festival, between 9am – 12pm and returning directly after the festival from approximately 1am onwards.

During the bus trip to the event, a stop off at Orewa Beach will allow passengers to stretch their legs, roll up their sleeves and get involved in a quick coastal clean-up. Those driving to the festival are also urged to participate in the cleanup – and there’s a good incentive too, with drinks tokens offered in exchange for every sack of beach trash participants collect.

Don’t worry, you won’t miss any of the show while you’re out cleaning-up the beach. Gates open at midday and from 1pm live acts will be gracing the stage. You’ll get to see burgeoning acts The Nudge, AHoriBuzz, Electric Wire Hustle and @Peace who are all set to take up the mantle and break through as the next wave of über talent. Little Bushman will be bringing their symphonic cacophony of detailed sound and taking their recently released album Te Oranga to new heights.

Kora are set to release their second album just before the festival and Tahuna Breaks is lined up to release theirs shortly after, so festival goers have the exciting chance to hear new material showcased by both bands. Rounding off the line-up and creating a bit of a coup, Fly My Pretties are set to perform their only show outside of their October/November 2011 tour – bringing the full 15 piece cast and visual backdrop to entertain and delight.

So, don’t miss out on Tuborg Summer Sunday, where music, nature and sustainability will merge to create a truly inspired summer celebration this Auckland Anniversary Weekend.

Tickets on sale now through 1-Night.

Thanks to

Event impacts

285

PARTICIPANTS

3,095

LITRES

703

KILOGRAMS

DOWNLOAD RESULTS
https://sustainablecoastlines.org/app/uploads/2013/05/SC-Hyundai-Tour-2012-results.pdf

Event Details

It gives us great pleasure to announce that — for the second year running — Sustainable Coastlines will be coordinating coastal clean-up activities at each of the Hyundai Tour events this summer.

The 2012 Hyundai Tour kicks off in early January, with five events taking place at iconic surf spots around New Zealand. World-renowned surf destination, Raglan, is included in the mix for the first time in the tours’ six-year history, with events also held at Piha, Sandy Bay and Mount Maunganui before the season concludes at Port Waikato in early March.

At each stage of the event we will be based at the Hyundai Tour HQ. All you need to do to take part in our clean-ups is come and see our team at our big blue flags, pick-up your gloves and sacks, and hit the beach to give a little loving back to the coastlines we all love.

Clean-up events

Thanks to

Event impacts

560

PARTICIPANTS

26,225

LITRES

1,905

KILOGRAMS

DOWNLOAD RESULTS
https://sustainablecoastlines.org/app/uploads/2013/05/SC-Coro-2012-results.pdf

Event Details

Thank you

A huge thank you to everyone who turned-up on Saturday to help us clean-up in Thames, Coromandel Town, Whitianga, Pauanui and Whangamata. Around 160 of us worked together to remove rubbish from coastlines around the Peninsula. Combined with the nearly 400 volunteers from schools and community groups in the weeks leading up to this Saturday, we have left the Coromandel’s beaches a whole lot cleaner.

A massive thank you also to our Team Leaders, Clean-up Station helpers, and of course our fantastic sponsors. Without you all, we could not have achieved what we did. Over the next few days our team will be in Thames going through the rubbish we collected with a fine-toothed comb. A massive thank you to Smart Environmental for transporting all of the rubbish, and thanks to Pat from Carson’s Bookshop for generously provided the site for our data collection. Watch this space for a full detailed breakdown of results, as well as photos from the day.

Enter our Photo Comp!

We are looking for photos from the day and would love to see yours. Send your best pics to us at [email protected] or — if you’ve got high-res shots that are a battle to email — upload them straight to our swish dropbox system by clicking here.

Some very fancy prizes are up for grabs from PhotoCPL, Arnette and the grand prize from local photographer and photo comp judge Kevin RIchards. So show off your photographic prowess and send us your pics! Check out photos from previous winners here. Make sure you get them in before entries close at 5pm on Wednesday 21st March. We’ll be announcing winners the following week.

The legal stuff: By submitting photos into the Great Coromandel Coastal Clean-up Photo Comp you are agreeing to grant Sustainable Coastlines Incorporated, any media and partner organisations a license to use, distribute publish or exhibit these photos in any manner either now known or subsequently devised and without any restrictions, in perpetuity. If you request, your photo will be duly credited whenever used in this way.

Final event details

We’re ready for this weekend’s Great Coromandel Coastal Clean-up and want to make sure that you are too. Below is all of the latest information about the event including where to be, what to bring and what’s planned.

Where to be

All you need to do is turn up at any time from 10am to 2pm this Saturday 10 March at one of our five meeting points around the Coromandel Peninsula (look for our big blue flags). We’ll have friendly crew waiting for you at the Long Bay Boat Ramp in Coromandel Town, Kuranui Bay Reserve in Thames, outside the Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club, outside the Pauanui Surf Life Saving Club, and at the Whitianga Wharf.

Just sign-in with our team, get your clean-up equipment (all provided free), and head out on foot, by car or boat to remove rubbish from stunning coastlines around the Coromandel Peninsula.

In Coromandel Town, volunteers will also have the opportunity to head out on boats for clean-up activities on the islands from Rangipukea in the south to the Happy Jacks in the north. Just meet at the boat ramp in Long Bay at 10am.

If you are keen to bring your vessel along to lend a hand on the day, then please contact Sam Judd on 021 058 9349 to discuss the details further. Some fuel may be available for boat owners.

What to bring

This clean-up will be a great adventure, but it is important that all event participants are well prepared so as to make the most of the day. Bring:

  • Sturdy shoes: Coastal areas can be slippery and have sharp, loose rocks. You’ll need closed-toe, sturdy shoes (such as sports shoes or tramping boots).
  • Warm and waterproof clothes: NZ weather is unpredictable. Please bring at least one warm top and a rain jacket in a backpack.
  • Your car (optional): Some beaches we will be cleaning-up are driving distance from meeting points. If you’re happy to drive to a clean-up location, please bring your car and a tarpaulin for your boot to transport rubbish back to us! If not, then don’t worry, there are heaps of areas to access within walking distance of our meeting points.
  • Sunscreen and a hat
  • Plenty of food and water: Clean-up can be physically challenging so come prepared!
  • Camera: Capture memories of a fantastic day and enter your best shots in our photo competition.
  • We provide all clean-up equipment, including rubbish sacks, gloves and other safety gear.

Post clean-up celebration

All participants are invited to join us after the clean-up on Saturday afternoon at the stunning and secluded Tucks Bay, just north of Coromandel Town. From 5.00pm we’ll have live music and a BBQ for the first 100 people. Bring a gold coin donation for the BBQ and BYO drinks. This is a great chance to come together and celebrate what we have achieved. Volunteers can also camp here for the weekend – see ‘Camping for volunteers’ below.

Camping for volunteers

A bunch of you have told us you’ll be camping at our Tucks Bay volunteer campground on Friday night, Saturday night, or both. This info is for you:

  • Arriving on Friday night? You’ll need to get to Long Bay Motor Camp office before 10.30pm. After this the campground gates will be closed for the evening.
  • Tucks Bay has running water and composting toilets but no power, so bring a torch!
  • Kitchen, toilet and shower blocks are 5 minutes walk away in Long Bay where there is power.
  • Tucks Bay has a total fire ban, so no campfires are allowed.
  • There is a wedding at one end of Tucks Bay from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, so please be respectful of their space during this time. This area will be marked off from Friday afternoon so that you’ll know where to set-up your tent.

Remember to bring:

  • Camping gear: tent, sleeping bag, camping mattress, torch and spare batteries etc (remember Tucks Bay has no power).
  • Food, drink and cooking equipment for your stay.
  • 50 cent coins for hot showers.
  • Surfboards, dive gear, fishing gear, bicycles etc for your own missions!

Getting there

Well, that all depends on where you are. We’ll assume that if you’re in the Coromandel you already know how to get to your clean-up location. So for out-of-towners…

Ferry to Coromandel Town: There is a regular 360 Discovery ferry sailing departing Auckland at 6pm on Friday 2 March, and a sailing leaving Coromandel (from Te Kouma) at 4.30pm on Sunday 4 March. See the 360 Discovery Coromandel page for full timetable and fare details. There is a free bus service from the ferry to Long Bay Motor Camp, just let them know that you’re part of our event.

Driving times: Auckland to Thames 1.5 hours, Auckland to Coromandel Town 2.5 hours, Auckland to Whangamata 2 hours, Auckland to Pauanui 2 hours, Auckland to Whitianga 2.5 hours. Get together a group of friends and car pool over for the weekend.

Photo comp

Weʼre holding a competition for the best shots from the event. Wherever you are, just bring along your camera and send your best pics to us at [email protected]. Check out some previous winners here and here.
We’ve got a whole heap of awesome prizes including sunnies from Arnette, coffee-table books from PhotoCPL and the major prize, an epic canvas print donated by local photographer and photo comp judge Kevin Richards.

Friday night movie

The evening before the clean-up, on Friday 9th March, we are putting on a free outdoor movie-screening. If the weather’s good, all are invited to join us from 7.30pm at Long Bay, Coromandel Town (5 minutes’ walk from the Tucks Bay campground) for a selection of short films and a feature-length movie. BYO picnic and deck chair.

Great Coromandel Coastal Clean-up

Last April, over 550 school students and volunteers as well as 18 boats joined us to remove 58,000 litres of rubbish – nearly two full shipping containers – of rubbish from the beautiful coastline and islands around Coromandel Town.
This year, thanks to the generous support of Smart Environmental and Thames Coromandel District Council we’re extending the Great Coromandel Coastal Clean-up right around both sides of the Peninsula and need your help on land and water to make this event a huge success. Register to volunteer now to receive event updates and to stay in the loop with all the details you need for the clean-up.

Boat owners: for the perfect excuse to launch your craft, please see ‘Bring your boat’ below…

To get involved, just turn up to one of our five clean-up locations listed below between 10am and 2pm on Saturday 10 March. Sign-in with our team, get your clean-up equipment (all provided for free), and hit the beaches en masse to give back to our beautiful coastlines.

Clean-up locations

Coromandel Town: Meet at the Long Bay Boat Ramp · Camp at Tucks Bay · Book-in camping

Thames: Meet at Kuranui Bay Reserve, Thames

Whangamata: Meet outside the Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club

Pauanui: Meet outside the Pauanui Surf Life Saving Club

Whitianga: Meet at the Whitianga Wharf

If you’re based anywhere else around the Coromandel and want to clean-up your local stretch of coastline, we can help out. Just email Event Director Ryley Webster on [email protected]

Camping details

The native-bush clad Tucks Bay volunteer campground is the place to be for all participants, especially those cleaning-up around Coromandel Town. This secluded bay, part of the beautiful Long Bay Motor Camp, is also the venue for our post-event BBQ and live music on Saturday afternoon.

Book-in your spot online and camping is available for just $10 + BF per person, per night (usually $19). Bookings are available for Friday 9 March, Saturday 10 March, or both nights. Spaces are limited, so get in quick!

From Long Bay, Tucks Bay is just a two-minute drive or a 5 minute walk around the coastal path. Tucks Bay has running water and composting toilets but no power, so please bring a torch! Kitchen, toilet and shower blocks – as well as the public boat ramp – are located back in Long Bay where there is power. Bring 50 cent coins for hot showers. Check out a map of Tucks Bay here.

Of course you don’t have to stay at Tucks Bay to be a part of the event. Cabins and caravans are available at Long Bay Motor Camp and you can find other accommodation options around the Coromandel here.

Bring your boat

On Saturday 10 March we will take as many volunteers as possible to clean-up the islands between Rangipukea in the south and the Happy Jacks in the north, off the west coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. We need boats to make it happen. If you have a boat that you would be able to bring along on Saturday 10 March, please contact Director of Marine Operations Sam Judd on 021 058 9349 or email [email protected]
Reef Shipping has kindly offered to supply free fuel for boats if you register early.

School clean-ups

Starting Monday 20 February our team will be visiting schools for fun, educational presentations followed by beach clean-ups that give students a brilliant opportunity for hands-on learning.

If your school wants to take part in a clean-up anywhere around the Coromandel Peninsula, simply fill out the schools’ registration form here and we will be in touch to make arrangements. For any questions in the meantime, just contact Event Director Ryley Webster on 021 040 9014 or email [email protected]

Thanks to

Event impacts

94

PARTICIPANTS

2,480

LITRES

157

KILOGRAMS

DOWNLOAD RESULTS
https://sustainablecoastlines.org/app/uploads/2013/05/OCS-Motutapu-2012-results.pdf

Event Details

Shining sun and a little wind blowing gently across the harbour set the scene for a great afternoon with the OCS team collecting trash on Motutapu Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.

88 OCS folk and four Sustainable Coastlines crew spread out around the coastline, some by foot, some ferrying by kayak with a hand from the Watercare Harbour Clean-up Trust boat Phil Warren. Unfortunately Motutapu is like many of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf, with its shores suffering from a heavy build up of marine debris, the majority originating from Auckland’s storm water drains.

The OCS team were delivered an educational presentation earlier in the day, so when they got out on the coastline, everyone got stuck in and together managed to pick up 2,480 litres of rubbish in just over an hour, which equates to over ten large curbside wheelie bins!

During the short journey back to Auckland, a celebratory beverage and discussions over who found the most rubbish and the most interesting pieces ensured everyone had a great trip out on the coast.

After intensive data collection of the rubbish, the usual suspects were found, including food wrappers, bottle caps and lids, plastic bottles, plastic bags, rope and polystyrene foam.

Thanks to

Event impacts

790

PARTICIPANTS

23,050

LITRES

2,930

KILOGRAMS

DOWNLOAD RESULTS
https://sustainablecoastlines.org/app/uploads/2013/05/SC-North-Shore-2012-results.pdf

Event Details

Thank you

A huge thank you to everyone who turned-up on Saturday 31 March to help us clean-up coastlines around the North Shore. Around 250 of us teamed-up to remove rubbish on Saturday, combining forces with over 500 volunteers from local schools, community groups and businesses over the duration of the event to leave the North Shore’s coastline a whole lot cleaner.

A massive thank you also to our clean-up Site Managers and of course our fantastic sponsors. Without you all, we could not have achieved what we did.

Our team has been going through the rubbish we collected with a fine-toothed comb to collate important data on exactly what we found — click here to see the results. A massive thank you to Mr Binz for transporting all of the rubbish.

Enter Photo Competition

We are looking for photos from the day and would love to see yours. Send your best pics to us at [email protected] or — if you’ve got high-res shots that are a battle to email — upload them straight to our swish dropbox system by clicking here.

Some very fancy prizes are up for grabs from PhotoCPL, Arnette and Sodastream. So show off your photographic prowess and send us your pics! Check out photos from previous winners here. Make sure you get them in before entries close at 5pm on Wednesday 25 April. We’ll be announcing winners the following week.

The legal stuff: By submitting photos into the Love your Coast North Shore Clean-up Photo Comp you are agreeing to grant Sustainable Coastlines Incorporated, any media and partner organisations a license to use, distribute publish or exhibit these photos in any manner either now known or subsequently devised and without any restrictions, in perpetuity. If you request, your photo will be duly credited whenever used in this way.

Clean-up locations, Sat 31 March

To get involved in our massive public clean-up day, just turn up to one of our seven clean-up locations listed below between 9am and 1pm on Saturday 31 March. Sign-in with our team, get your clean-up equipment (all provided for free), and hit the beaches en masse to give back to our beautiful coastlines.

Devonport: South end of Windsor Reserve, by the public toilets · See on map

Stanley Bay: On the grass verge by the bus stop at the start of Stanley Point Road · See on map

Castor Bay: By the playground on the Reserve on The Esplanade · See on map

Mairangi Bay: On the grass verge next to the Surf Life Saving Club · See on map

Browns Bay: On the grass verge at the end of Anzac Road · See on map

Long Bay: Just South of Long Bay Restaurant on the grass verge by the beach · See on map

Whangaparaoa: At the reserve on Coopers Road (western end), off Vipond Road · See on map

When you’ve had enough time on the beach, just bring your rubbish back to the event station where you started. If you‘re unable to bring the rubbish back to where you started (too big, heavy or hazardous) that’s okay, but please make sure that you leave your rubbish protected from wind, well above the high tide mark and provide clear instructions to a rep from our team on where it is so that we can pick it up later.

BBQ celebration from 2pm

All participants are invited to join us for a gold coin donation BBQ celebration after the clean-up from 2.00pm at the Torbay Sailing Club, 946 Beach Road, Torbay.

Popular North Shore clean-up to be repeated

Last April over 900 volunteers joined us for a huge community coastal clean-up on Auckland’s North Shore. Together we removed over 3 tonnes of rubbish from this urban coastline, and we’re doing it all again this year.

Schools, businesses and community groups

From 22 March to 4 April, we’re inviting students, businesses and community groups to join us and clean-up the beaches of Auckland’s stunning North Shore. Click here to register now and we’ll be in touch to make arrangements.
Alongside clean-up activities we are also offering multimedia educational presentations for schools and organisations, to help motivate volunteers and provide important background to the issue. When you register, simply let us know if you’re interested in this.

Massive public clean-up day

On Saturday 31 March we’ll be holding a large-scale clean-up around the North Shore for all to get involved in. Put this date in your diary and check back here for the location and times of clean-up event stations closer to the time.
All you’ll need to do is turn up to one of our clean-up locations (to be announced here soon), sign-in with our friendly team, get your clean-up equipment (all provided free) and hit the beach!

Get involved

If your school, organisation or community group would like to be involved simply fill out this form and we will be in contact to make arrangements. For any questions or offers of support in the meantime, please contact one of our team on 09 948 8454 or email Event Director Ryley Webster on [email protected]

Thanks to

Event impacts

45

PARTICIPANTS

1,144

LITRES

103

KILOGRAMS

DOWNLOAD RESULTS
https://sustainablecoastlines.org/app/uploads/2013/05/SC-Taranaki-2012-results-NZSF.pdf

Event Details

Fantastic weather, world-class women’s surfing and the festive atmosphere saw thousands of spectators come down to the beach over the duration of the festival. The surf conditions were terrific, and showcased the skills from the likes of Sofia Mulanovich of Peru, local favorite Paige Hareb, and winner Stephanie Gilmore from Australia.

The Sustainable Coastlines Education Station made the journey down to Fitzroy and quickly became the hub of the kids community for the week. This offered fun educational material, practical and enjoyable activities for the kids and welcome shelter from the sun and rain.

Important messages portrayed included that rubbish on the streets and in the parks, makes its way to the ocean via the storm water system or is blown by the wind. We also explained the issues created by rubbish once it enters the ocean and explored the characteristics of plastics, which passed on knowledge to curious kids and adults alike.

Throughout the festival, Sustainable Coastlines organised clean-up activities, which removed a large portion of consumer event rubbish and ensured the festival maintained an exceptional level of coastal cleanliness. Kids were rewarded with Whittaker’s chocolate for their efforts, which kept them motivated to help out for the duration of the event.

Aside from event litter, we were very interested in the frequency at which certain items turned up on the coast. Taranaki is a region that is rich in farming, so we were not surprised to find a sizable portion of farming related rubbish including; 42 electric fence insulators, 56 drench applicators, and 367 pieces of wadding from shotgun shells.

Common items that Sustainable Coastlines find around the entire country were also widespread on the Taranaki coast. These included; 147 food wrappers, 187 pieces of rope, 600 caps and lids, 660 pieces of polystyrene/foam and a whopping 3,613 pieces of unidentifiable partially photo-degraded plastic.

The total haul of rubbish over the festival was 102.75 kilograms, which equated to 1, 143 liters (just over 8 regular red household curbside wheelie bins), and well over 6,000 individual pieces.

Another educational initiative during the contest was dune planting. Along with volunteers and the help of pro surfers Sofia Mulanovich and Rebecca Woods, we planted several hundred native dune plants kindly sponsored by the Taranaki Tree Trust.

We would like to extend a huge thanks to TSB Bank, Surfing Taranaki, New Plymouth District Council, PowerCo and all the organisations that made the New Zealand Surf Festival such a memorable success.

An enormous thank you also goes out to the local folk of Taranaki for hosting an event of this nature, and accommodating the people associated with the event.

Overall, we thought the event was run very well and were pleased to see the sustainable initiatives incorporated into an experience where this beautiful coastline is shared with a worldwide audience.

Thanks to

Event impacts

49

PARTICIPANTS

1,320

LITRES

258

KILOGRAMS

DOWNLOAD RESULTS
https://sustainablecoastlines.org/app/uploads/2013/05/SC-ELA-JCHS-2012-results.pdf

Event Details

On Wednesday 30 May students from James Cook High School and Auckland University’s English Language Academy combined forces to remove a huge haul of rubbish from the rocky shores of Rangitoto Island.

In the much-appreciated winter sun, almost 50 clean-up volunteers hit the coastlines east of Rangitoto Wharf and picked up over 1,000 litres of rubbish. An impressive effort from the students on Rangitoto’s challenging terrain. In the afternoon the students were rewarded for their work with a walk to the summit of this unique volcanic island and a visit from a pod of dolphins as we waited for the ferry home.

This type of hands-on action proves to be an excellent, practical, fun way for students (and their teachers) to learn about how the constant stream of litter from Auckland’s streets flows out through storm drains and affects the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. Just last December these same shores were cleaned-up by over 1,200 volunteers in our Love your Coast Rangitoto Island Clean-up, removing over two tonnes of rubbish. Already these same stretches of coastline are being covered in litter from Auckland’s streets – an unfortunately perfect illustration of the problem that the students got to see for themselves.

A huge thank you to all students and teachers for the fantastic effort you put in. A big thanks also to Hayden Smith and Ben Harris from Watercare Harbour Clean-up Trust for lending a helping hand on the day, your support is always much appreciated.

If you’d like to take part in an event like this, contact us today.

Thanks to

Event impacts

15

PARTICIPANTS

70

LITRES

8

KILOGRAMS

DOWNLOAD RESULTS
https://sustainablecoastlines.org/app/uploads/2013/05/SC-Yealands-Clifford-Bay-Clean-up-2012-results.pdf

Event Details

Friday the 8th of June marked World Oceans Day. Our team made the early morning sailing on the Bluebridge Ferry across the Strait and were greeted by a beautiful but crisp winter morning in Picton, en route through Marlborough to Seddon School and Yealands Estate.

First up, we delivered our educational presentation to all 110 students of Seddon School, explaining the importance of responsible rubbish disposal and showcasing a snapshot of the effects of rubbish in the marine environment. After the presentation Seddon School took a short drive to visit Yealands Estate.

Seddon School is extremely proud of their environment and community and one initiative they get involved in is planting. Yealands joined forces with students from the school and Awatere Playcentre to plant 1,500 native trees and flaxes around the Estate’s wetlands on World Environment Day in June 2009.

Three years on, the proud students who planted the trees were able to see their trees’ progress and understand the bigger picture of what they had collectively achieved. Younger students who did not attend the planting were able to see what a difference the planting makes to the wetlands and a great example of the effect of hands-on action.

Yealands have many ingenious environmental endeavours throughout the vineyard and take great pride in being the most innovatively sustainable winery in New Zealand. Yealands staff listened intently to our educational message before heading out to the coastal boundary of the Estate along Clifford Bay for a clean up to do their bit for World Oceans Day.

This stretch of coast is one of the cleanest we have come across, with ocean currents depositing heavier concentrations of debris further along the coast. Nevertheless, 15 hardy crew got stuck in and removed any rubbish that was on the beach, managing to find 70 litres, or 7.7 kilograms in just over an hour.

A big thanks to those from Seddon School for getting involved in the community spirit, and a massive thank you to Yealands Estate for supporting environmental initiatives such as these. Also congratulations to Yealands on their recent success at the Green Ribbon Awards.