For the first time since April, Beach Buddies will return to a stretch of coastline which has been off-limits all summer during the bird nesting season.
On Sunday morning, September 2, volunteers will meet at Smeale beach which is one of the most sensitive areas on the island’s coast for a wide variety nesting birds such as oyster catchers, terns, plover and curlew.
At the same time last year Beach Buddies found the remains of several nests, which had been lined with small pieces of plastic and fishing line collected by parent birds from the beach.
It is planned to remove as many of these small pieces of plastic as possible during the autumn and winter months - as well as the larger items which we annually find in this area.
The intention is to cover a long stretch along this coastline between Kirk Michael and the Point of Ayre in a series of events aimed chiefly at cleaning up this bird nesting zone. Beach Buddies has invested in a serious piece of equipment to make life easier for volunteers who have previously had to haul very heavy items long distances to beach access points.
A Honda Pioneer ATV is being funded thanks to the SkyWind Group and Manx Radio DreamCatcher, enabling Beach Buddies to team up with the sponsors to ’adopt’ a 20-mile stretch of beach between Glen Mooar and the Point of Ayre, where thousands of seabirds nest every year.
The Pioneer will make its first official appearance at Smeale on Sunday.
Beach Buddies is sponsored by FIM Capital.