Devon Wildlife Trust is this month preparing for an array of marine themed events at its Wembury Marine Centre and North Devon Voluntary Marine Conservation Area to coincide with this year's National Marine Weeks. National Marine Weeks is the annual celebration of our seas which this year runs from 2 to 17 August.
The events in Devon will include a host of rockpool rambles for all the family, seashore arts and crafts at Wembury Marine Centre and a beach clean at Saunton Sands in North Devon.
National Marine Weeks will help people across the county to cherish our native marine life, understand more about the threats facing it, and get involved in protecting our seas and sea life for families to enjoy in future.
Cat Ridout, Marine Awareness Officer at Wembury Marine Centre said: 'Wembury Marine Centre has a packed fortnight of events for this year's Marine Weeks. Rain or shine there is plenty to do and loads of creatures to find in the rockpools. You don't need to book for our rambles so just come on down to the beach and join in.'
'If you need an excuse to head to the beach then Marine Weeks are the perfect opportunity to find out more about the marine wildlife around the coast of Devon. Recent rockpool ramblers at Wembury have discovered velvet swimming crabs, cornish sucker fish, spiny starfish and much, much more!'
For more information about the Marine Weeks events at Wembury visit www.wemburymarinecentre.org or call 01752 862538 and for the North Devon events visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org or call 01271 812777.
If people are unable to make it to any of the events they can still celebrate the week by doing one or more of the following:
1. Pick up litter from the beach- it can cut, choke and poison sea animals.
2. Never flush things like cotton buds, plastic wrappers and sanitary waste down the toilet, put it in the bin - otherwise it may end up in the sea.
3. Look for 'environmentally friendly' labels when you're shopping for detergents, washing powder and toilet cleaner. They won't pollute the sea as badly.
4. Let us know whenever you see anything unusual like a dolphin, basking shark or turtle.
5. Become a member of the Devon Wildlife Trust and support the work DWT does to protect the seas.
