World Environmental Day

As it was very wet, we had a look around various art galleries in the area, during which we learned of a project by artist Julia Barton. She is investigating beach litter on remote coastal areas, and this spring took up residence on the uninhibited Isle Martin to map and monitor litter. She then sorted the items into groupings and found ways to link them into lines of litter to make 'floating litter rafts' which she towed off the beach today, World Environmental Day. We watched her and her team row a line of polystyrene ashore at Ardmair. Already she had brought in bottle tops, plastic bottles, cans, prawn boxes and even gun cartridges (fatal to dophins as when wet they look like squid which they like to eat). Julie is passionate about highlighting these environmental issues, and will track what happens to the rubbish after it has been dispatched from here. For example some, like the glass and cans, will be sent to recycle centres. She told us that there was an increasing amount of interest in finding uses for rubbish - for example, there is one place which can use old plastic to make fleece jackets.

A different day for us but so interesting.

For more information - http://littoralartproject.com

Sent from my iPad