In recent weeks the Loughs Agency has been working with groups of volunteers to clean up the banks of the River Foyle in Northern Ireland.
The Foyle Ambassadors, a group of young environmentalists, completed a clean-up on the upstream bank of the River Foyle near the Strabane Canal with the help of TV presenter Joe Mahon and his crew who were filming in the area. Between them they removed over a dozen bags worth of rubbish.
Elsewhere, a team of Ulster Bank branch managers completed litter pick on the banks of the River Foyle close to the mouth of the old Strabane Canal.
Local director Chris McGuinness said: “Even though the amount of plastic waste was shocking, this was an enjoyable and very worthwhile activity for our team. We would definitely be interested in doing of this sort of environmental activity in the future.”
Finally, a group of volunteers from technology firm Seagate took part in a bank clean-up downstream of the Strabane Canal, removing close to 30 bags of rubbish. The volunteers said they could not believe how much plastic waste had accumulated in such a beautiful location.
The agency’s community engagement officer Allan Bogle said: “This is the most rubbish I have seen collected during a volunteer litter pick. It is a great feeling to return this natural area to the way it is supposed to look.”
Loughs Agency chief executive Sharon McMahon added: “Rivers are an important habitat for fish and wildlife. Sadly, pollution, including litter and plastic gather in and along the rivers, often in remote places.
“River clean-ups are a great way to improve our rivers and make them a more enjoyable place to visit. As part of our community engagement programmes we are pleased to facilitate opportunities which enable the local community to take an active part in improving their environment.”
For more information on volunteer opportunities with the Loughs Agency, contact Allan Bogle at [email protected]
