From Friday, November 3 to Sunday, November 5, a group of volunteers from Track Care and the public in conjunction with Pemberton Discovery Tours, Keep Australia Beautiful Council (KABC), Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), and Tangaroa Blue, participated in a cleanup project at Yeagarup Dunes. The project aimed to collect and remove rubbish from the tracks and the beach, as well as to enjoy the natural beauty and diversity of the area.
Day 1: Friday, November 3
The volunteers met at the Pemberton Crossings Bakery at 1 pm
and drove to the camp site.
After setting up their tents and equipment, they went for a swim in the Warren River and relaxed. They had dinner and a campfire, where they shared stories and planned for the following day.
Day 2: Saturday, November 4
The day started with Jeff from DBCA introducing us to the area and its importance.
The volunteers split into two groups, one accessing the beach via Callcup Road and the other via Yeagarup Dune.
They collected rubbish along the tracks and on the beach, using bags and gloves provided by Pemberton Discovery Tours and KABC. They found various items, such as plastic bottles, fishing ropes, cans, and car parts. They also enjoyed the scenic views of the forest, the sand dunes and the ocean. The two groups met for lunch at the mouth of the Warren River, where they relaxed and enjoyed the scenery.
They continued their cleanup work until the afternoon, when they drove back to the camp site. Some of the volunteers faced some challenges in driving over the sand dunes, but they managed to overcome them with the help of their fellow drivers and Track Care. The Track Care Chair then presented rear tyre bags obtained through a KABC grant to the participants. A special thankyou being made to Graeme and Toni from Pemberton Discovery Tours and Grant and Tim who have led the cleanups for the last 9 years.
Getting the group to congregate with their bags for a photo was likened to herding cats but we did manage it with the guidance of Nicky and 28 other helpers!
Day 3: Sunday, November 5
Some of the volunteers joined Toni and Graeme from Pemberton Discovery Tours for another cleanup activity in the Warren National Park and on the beach. They collected more rubbish and enjoyed the beauty of the park.
The volunteers returned around 2 pm, where they said their goodbyes and thanked each other for their hard work and cooperation. They agreed that the cleanup project was a rewarding and memorable experience, and that they would like to do it again next year.
Toni weighed and sorted the rubbish they collected, and recorded the data for Tangaroa Blue’s Australian Marine Debris Initiative.
The volunteers worked together from 1pm November 3, 2023 to 5:40pm November 5 including compiling the litter report and sorting.
400kg of rubbish across 5km of beach averaging 100m wide including 490 piece of used toilet paper and tissue, 166 cans and bottles and around 100m of rope.
Such a fantastic result!
Thank you to everyone that participated in this wonderful event!
