Clean Coasts launches the Enjoy and Protect campaign in Mayo to mark Earth Day
On April 22, to celebrate Earth Day, Clean Coasts are launching their Enjoy and Protect campaign by releasing a new free resource guide and hosting two water sport and beach cleaning events.
The coastal areas in Mayo present visitors with amazing landscapes and numerous opportunities to have fun, from water sports to camping to outdoor eating and more.
According to the CSO's 'Our Lives Outdoors’ survey, carried out in spring last year prior to the creation of Ireland National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027, 98% of Irish adults like to spend time outdoors, and 55% people spend more time outdoors than before Covid-19, with recreational walking being the number one activity practiced in the country.
Moreover, with the nice weather on the way, more people are expected to be visiting the beautiful coastal areas around the country. The Enjoy and Protect campaign calls people to enjoy these outdoor treasures in Mayo sustainably.
For over 20 years, Clean Coasts has been working with communities and volunteers to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life by organising hundreds of beach clean-ups each year, mobilising thousands of volunteers and removing large quantities of marine litter from our coastline. Currently, Clean Coasts can count on the work of over 2,000 groups and 40,000 volunteers.
With their Enjoy and Protect campaign, Clean Coasts invite people to enjoy and celebrate Ireland’s stunning coastline but also to protect these natural treasures for future generations to enjoy too by making more sustainable choices, taking part in beach cleans, or learn more about the micro-volunteering campaigns, such as the #2MinuteBeachClean (carried out in partnership with the 2 Minute Foundation) or the Think Before You Flush and Think Before You Pour campaigns (two Uisce Éireann campaigns operated by Clean Coasts).
As part of the latest campaign, Clean Coasts has released five free guides containing tips and guidance on how to enjoy the coast while doing your bit to protect it. The Outdoor Living and A Day at the Beach guides focus on activities such as camping, eating outdoors and spending a day discovering marine biodiversity. A third guide, the Community Guide, is available exclusively to registered Clean Coasts groups and will include guidance on organising beach cleans, building a network, attracting new volunteers and promoting your work.
Another guide, Wildlife Photography, was released in 2022, and it is a resource to support photographers wishing to enter Clean Coasts’ Love Your Coast photography competition, as well as the general public. Finally, in 2023, Clean Coasts launched a new Water Sports Guide that will be available to download on the organisation website on Earth Day.
In addition to these guides, throughout the summer, Clean Coasts will share tips to make more sustainable choices, and will offer the online community a space to exchange ideas through social media.
Events will be organised during the summer throughout the Irish coast, including in Co. Mayo. To stay up to date, keep an eye on Clean Coasts' social media channels or see www.cleancoasts.org.