When a community and Scouts come together there are no limits! In honour of late SCOUTS SA Patron Nelson Mandela, Cubs, Scouts, parents and local community members came together for the Plastic Tide Turners’ Mandela Day Beach Clean-Up organised by St. Croix Sea Scouts’ Scout Group Leader Norman Visser.

A total of 52 people walked up and down Bluewater Bay and removed a whopping 67 bags, equating to 268 kilograms of trash, that otherwise would have washed into the ocean.

“We decided to spend time addressing the ecological impact of litter on our local biodiversity in Bluewater Bay. We have sensitive bird and marine life here, in a finely balance ecosystem. Man is disturbing the balance and having a negative impact here”, explains Norman.

“The project enabled us to support our local community, and the Zwartkops Conservancy. We also created awareness around these issues while exposing Scouts to expose to these impacts first-hand and educating them in the simple solutions and actions we can take to preserve and protect our local environment.”

Scout Noël Trompeter agrees with his Scouter. “Over the past 5 years, I have often participated in the beach cleanups in Bluewater Bay. It is a necessary activity to protect our ocean life and the environment against litter. We collected litter on the beach and placed it in black bags. It was a fun activity in celebration of Mandela Day and I believe that we all have a part to play to protect our planet.”

Over an above their impact on the local biodiversity, cleaning up the debris and litter also made it a healthier and safer place for children to enjoy and create memories on the beach. “We all learned a lot about estuaries and the importance of coastal management. It was a fun and impactful event”, concludes Norman.