Gifted and talented Geography students from Newquay Tretherras, were chosen to take part in a Coastal Workshop as well as a Marine Pollution Workshop delivered by local organisation Newquay Marine Group on Tolcarne Beach.

On 16th July, 40 students from Year 7 to 9 worked in small groups applying their Maths skills to investigate the height of cliffs and steepness of the beach profiles. Students were given equipment and asked to problem solve how to collect the data, they were then able to use trigonometry to calculate the cliff heights.

The Newquay Marine Group (NMG) were delighted to deliver an additional beach workshop all about Marine Pollution to the interested group of Newquay Tretherras conservationists. NMG were able to introduce students to the problems of marine pollution, investigate the various sources as well as discuss some of the impacts that human generated marine pollution is having on the wonderful and diverse wildlife that lives in the seas around Cornwall as well as the wider oceanic environment.

Plastics were the main focus of the session as they make up 70% of all the ocean debris with an estimated 8 million pieces entering the oceans every day. The Newquay Tretherras students had some wonderful ideas and possible solutions which hopefully we will see in the near future!

A spokesperson for NMG commented, ‘It was really wonderful to be able to connect with the future protectors of the oceans and we hope that they will go away and inspire others to make some positive behaviour changes and help protect our seas and all the life associated with it for many years to come; this is no more important here in Cornwall where we are so connected and reliant on the wonders of the marine environment.’

The final part of the workshop introduced the Newquay Tretherras students to the ‘Trawlshare Project’, NMG in collaboration with other marine agencies have been carrying out plastic trawls at various locations around the coast as part of a much larger global project to assess the severity of the plastic problem. NMG have been amazed at the number of microscopic pieces of plastic that we have found floating at the surface of the sea around our coastline. This really is something that we all need to take note of and join together to be part of the solution.

Educational workshops are a new venture for Newquay Marine Group and they really hope to have the opportunity to interact and engage many more Newquay Tretherras students in the future.

If you would like to get involved then please contact Newquay Marine Group on their Facebook page or email them direct newquaymarinegroup@gmail.com

More information on the ‘Trawlshare Project’ can be found at www.newquaymarinegroup.com/category/cmmr-trawlshare-project/