National Marine Week takes place from the 27^th July to 11^th August 2024.  There’s a LOT happening and you can find out all about what’s on by signing up to the Wildlife Trust’s updates as they organise it.  

The first thing to do is to sign up for updates from the Wildlife Trust.  You can sign up here.

Then find your local Wildlife Trust here or conservation charity if you don't live in the UK, to see how you can get involved, even if you live miles from the sea.  There are 46 Trusts around the UK from Alderney in the Channel Islands to Scotland, Cornwall to Norfolk, and North West Wales to Kent.  

On 22nd June 2024, the Restore Nature Now march in Central London was attended by an estimated 60,000 people and over 350 nature and wildlife organisations.   A key message was that we all need to work together to help wildlife and our natural world.   When I first put this blog about National Marine Week up, it was focusing on the Wildlife Trusts specifically.  However, given the state of the natural world now and the urgency to take better care of it, I've updated and broadened its focus now to cover more charities.  #RestoreNatureNow 

Please get political and tell politicians that nature matters! 

The Wildlife Trusts have lots of information about the General Election and how you can be a voice for our natural world and what you can do now it's over.  We all need to shout loudly for nature!  Nature has no voice, so it’s up to all of us to speak up.   The Wildlife Trusts have information about what they think the Government's priorities should be and Polar Bears International (who have been researching sea ice and polar bears for decades) have help here on how to talk about climate change, and how you can get political.

10 ways to get involved in National Marine Week

(You don't need to wait until then!)

National Marine Week runs from 27^th July to the 11^th August. It lasts longer than a week, because of the differing tidal conditions around the UK.  There are  celebrations and events around the country, including a Marine Mammal BioBlitz in West Wales, a SeaFest celebration in Cumbria and a Locomation in the Ocean – that’s in Dorset.

This year, the theme of National Marine Week is 'Sea' the Connection and the week will be highlighting how - as an idland nation - we are all closely connected to the sea.   A healthy marine environment matters and it needs to thrive.  They have a map to show how people connect to the sea, whether it be through livelihoods, hobbies, memories, special experiences - you can add your own connection here!

Even if you don’t live on the coast, you can connect to the sea by finding out more about the effect pollution is having on them and the wildlife there.  Reduce your plastic use and pick up litter too, so that less plastic and litter heads downstream to the sea - left on the ground, it could get picked up by a passing bird and dropped later into a river and then out to sea. 

Find the interactive map and a full list of events on The Wildlife Trusts’ website

1.Be a citizen scientist!

Record your shoreline sightings and help marine and wildlife charities build up a picture of our shorelines and seas.  For example, you can help the Shark Trust learn more about sharks, skates and rays by taking part in their Basking Shark project, the Great Eggcase Hunt project, the Great Shark Snapshot (20^th to 28^th July 2024, anywhere in the world!) and the Angling Project.  The Marine Conservation Society has a number of projects, too such as Seasearch for divers, the Big Seaweed Search, and the Big Microplastic Survey.  And the Wildlife Trusts have their own Shoresearch and the Scottish Seabird Centre has kindly put a list together of citizen science projects.  Find out how citizen science is saving our seas from the University of Portsmouth. 

You can download this and print it off, or why not take a photo on your phone to use when you're out and about?

2. Do a beach clean

The Marine Conservation Society has lots of information about how to do this, and get involved.  The next Great British Beach Clean is from 20^th to 29^th September 2024.   Why not get your company involved in a Team Beach Clean as an away day and do something really meaningful?

Take part in the Big Nurdle Hunt.  Nurdles are small plastic pellets which are melted down to make nearly all plastic products and the problem is that thousands of tonnes of them spill straight into the environment worldwide. Visit the website to find out and how you can go hunting for nurdles! 

3.  Support seagrass projects

Seagrass play a vital role in keeping oceans healthy and giving thousands of marine species a home, such as the seahorse, the manatee and the sea turtle.  Project Seagrass, based in Wales, have a mission:  A world in which seagrass meadows are thriving, abundant and well managed for people and planet. And there are a number of projects around the UK to help seagrass.   The Marine Conservation Society has more information about seagrass itself and why it matters.

Find out about the Seahorse Trust and its Studland Bay project and also Save our Seahorses, the Irish branch of the Seahorse Trust. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is working to protect seagrass and you can sponsor a seagrass seed pod for £20 to help them.  Find out more

4.  Be a sea champion!

Find out what the Wildlife Trusts are doing to help our seas and our sea life.  For instance, they campaign for parts of the seabed and the sea to be protected from damaging activities.  

Read about the Wildlife Trusts’ Marine Strategy How can you get involved and be a part of this journey?

5. Just watch marine life!

Go to the sea if it's close to you, or a river or canal;  observe and connect to the natural world there and use your senses to really take in the natural world.  If you are unable to leave home, take in videos from You Tube to explore the natural world with, from kayaking in Alderney, to meeting the dolphins of Wales.   Rockpool species, sharks, turtles, seals – just drink in the marine videos.  

There will be many events taking place organised by the Wildlife Trusts around the UK.  Some of these will be on the coast on the seashore, some on wetlands, and some further away from the sea, but either way, there's plenty going on all over the UK with beach cleans, night time safaris, marine wildlife surveys, dolphin watches and more!   And there are lots of events for families, too so that you can get the kids involved.  Find an event here

Here's a question for you!  How do you say "I love you" in puffin?
Find out here!

6. Find out more about different species and marine life

The Wildlife Trusts’ website enable you to put the name of a species into a search box and you can learn all about it!  This year the theme is “Sea the Connection", and it will be looking to highlight how - as an island nation - we're connected to the sea and why a healthy, thriving marine environment is really important and makes a difference. 

This is a great opportunity to find out all about habitats – marine habitats, seagrass, biogenic reefs, deep-water corals, mud, sand and graves, kept beds and forests and rocky reefs.  Float away to them here.

Dive in and find out more about National Marine Week
27th July to 11th August 2024

7.  Support campaigns to improve the health of our oceans

The Marine Conservation Society has a number of different campaigns, such as banning disposable vapes and wet wipes.  And they have campaigns to stop ocean threads and stop pollution.  But there are also campaigns against balloon releases – who knows where they will end up?    Find out about their campaigns here.  

Take a look at Surfers Against Sewage, too. Water quality, plastic pollution, ocean recovery and the ocean and climate emergency are all challenges they are tackling.  And find out about their Million Mile Clean – they want 100,000 people to take a 10 mile stretch and clean it up on the coast, canals, bridle paths,  towns and cities!   

8. Use less plastic

The Wildlife Trusts have lots of help to enable you to use less plastic in all sorts of ways, from the bathroom, to the kitchen and being out and about,  and they also have info about those sneaky plastics you may not have thought of!  Find out more  

Don't forget that July is Plastic Free Month - a chance for you to reduce the amount of plastic in your life, so it's a good way to do something towards both National Marine Weke and Plastic Free Month at the same time.

9. Remember our Rivers!

Take a look at the I’s Save Britain’s Rivers campaign, challenging ALL parties to commit to sign up to a blueprint that will save our rivers.  The article has a number of ways in which you can help our rivers.

Also, you could take a look at the Rivers Trust who are the umbrella body for the River Trust movement. Their 2023/2024 Impact Report shows that 20,000 volunteers got involved helping local rivers and they have ways in which you can get involved in the #VoteforRivers campaign.  Vote for Rivers at the upcoming General Election

The Canal and Rivers Trust also has ways in which you can help care for our canal and rivers network to make it easy to #VolunteerByWater  

10. Support wildlife and marine charities

Why not adopt an animal and give a Wildlife Trust your support?  There are a number of animals to choose from – seahorse, dolphin, seal, otters, beavers and more!  Funds raised from the adoption schemes goes towards helping local wildlife conservation work – managing nature reserves or creating new habitats.  It all helps, plus adoptions make a great gift for nature lovers! And you could become a member of a Wildlife Trust.  At the very least, you can help them spread the word about their campaigns, the threats facing marine and wildlife and the solutions to help them.  Help them spread the word about their successes, their needs, what actions people can do to make a difference.  Do more than dipping your toe into the water - get stuck in.

There’s a LOT happening with marine conservation worldwide, and many wonderful people working hard to make it happen, from scientists to indigenous peoples, volunteers, rescue centres taking in injured marine life, campaigners, activists… Have a think about ways in which you can play a role in marine conservation and the elections this year – in whatever country you’re in – are a great place to start standing up for our natural world.  Worldwide, air, sky and sea need our voice, and so do the animals depending on it.  We also depend on it being in a healthy state, so that we can be too.

Find your local Wildlife Trust here. 

Find out more about National Marine Week here.

26th June 2024:  Canada launches C$335 mln fund to support Indigenous-led marine conservation in the Great Bear Sea, home to kelp  forests, whales, fish, corals, seabirds and other species

24th June 2024:  Governments to meet at UN to discuss first ever “Ocean COP”

You could also take a look at Seacology, whose mission is "to protect threatened island ecosystems all over the world. We do that by working directly with communities, helping them to preserve their cultures and improve their lives while saving precious island habitats."  Visit their website here.