Big Dee Day is back – and it starts this Friday, September 16.
Big Dee Day has become an annual event reaching across county and country borders, to tackle marine and coastal litter, which blights the Welsh and English coastline of the River Dee.
Winner of the Best Environmental Partnership in 2008, this event will link conservation, business and residential communities who give 48 hours of full-on commitment to protecting our Dee Estuary coastline for people and wildlife. This event is having a major impact on the local coastal environment.
Co-ordinated by Flintshire County Council’s Coastal Team, the event includes teams from Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham, and Cheshire West and Chester Councils. Keep Wales Tidy will also be playing a major part. Big business support comes from Tata Steel, Airbus, Kimberley Clark, BHP Billiton, Presthaven Sands, UPM Shotton and Kingspan – to name but a few.
On the conservation front, the North Wales Wildlife Trust, N.E.W. Wildlife and the Dee Wildfowlers are clearing up the coastline along the River Dee from Rhyl to Wrexham – removing litter such as plastics, nets, bottles and barrels from our beaches, salt marshes, sea defences and riverbanks.
Councillor Hilary McGuill, Chair of Flintshire County Council, will attend the breakfast launch of the 48 hour event hosted by Tata Steel on September 16. Councillor Arnold Woolley, leader of Flintshire County Council, will be showing his support on Saturday.
Councillor McGuill said:
“The Big Dee Day is always a great opportunity for us all to get together to clean up our environment and make a huge difference. Each one of us can get involved – even if you are on your own, please take some litter home from your favourite walk.”
Councillor Woolley said:
“The Big Dee Day brings together so many people from all backgrounds, to achieve so much. It’s a credit to all the local authorities, businesses, residential and community groups involved, and I am looking forward to taking part in this year’s event.”
Any groups wishing to take part should contact Senior Ranger, Mike Taylor, who said:
“This is about direct action to enhance our coastline – it can be just a community clean up in your village or town anywhere along the River Dee. If you have a group who would like to take part we would love to hear from you. If a thousand people pick up and recycle just one plastic bottle that makes a huge difference to our environment.”
