On Wednesday July 27th we had a fabulous Eco-Action day in Wigan, Greater Manchester, led by the ‘Love My River’ team at Groundwork. We were litter-picking with the local Primary School, teaching local families about the sewer management machines that United Utilities use to keep our sewers clean, and clearing local invasive species from the river-bank. A team of volunteers from United Utilities worked with Samuel from ‘Love my River’ and removed a mountain of Himalayan Balsam from the banks of Close Brook, opening the brook up to sunlight and helping to keep it healthy. Danielle from Lancashire Wildlife Trust was on-hand to teach us all about the different species and to tell us why it is important to stop their spread across Wigan. There were art & craft activities too, with Sara, Ste and Pauline from Groundwork helping the local children to create a large mural of stencilled fish with spray paints! Stormwater Shepherds took the opportunity to teach the families about the importance of litter picking around the brook and in their communities, and some of them went away with their own litter-picking kits, kindly donated by Wigan Council. The team from Ipsum got busy doing more litter-picking in the areas that were unsafe for the children and together, everyone collected over 20 bags of rubbish.
It was a very successful day and everyone learnt a lot about preventing pollution and caring for their local environment. Maybe you could organise a litter-pick in your local area with your friends and neighbours; if you speak to your Council, they may be able to provide you with the equipment that you need.
