In each newsletter we highlight the work of one of our members. This edition we hear from Caledonian MacBrayne.
Caledonian MacBrayne is the UK’s largest ferry operator – delivering ferry services across 200 miles of Scotland’s west coast, from Lewis in the north to Arran in the south. In an average year we deliver 160,000 sailings.
We’re privileged to operate in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Working on Scotland’s waters in the way we do means we are in a unique position to help raise awareness of the marine environment and the ways we can all support marine conservation. Helping to share knowledge and information about the scenic waters which surround us is key, and as part of our own Marine Environment Programme, we launched a series of Environmental Heroes films earlier this year.
The series profiles some of the local Environmental Heroes we’ve met and looks at the role they play in helping to protect Scotland’s waters and wildlife. We shared these on our own social media channels to help celebrate their work and showcase the ways we can all play a part in protecting and safeguarding Scotland’s marine environment.
You can tune into the films on our YouTube channel, each one shares the message that each of us can do something to make a difference to help protect our surroundings.
Watch the films and meet Angela Peterson, one of our CalMac colleagues, who we join while walking her dog on the beautiful Lunderston Bay – a spot that’s frequented by seals, ducks, and Canadian Geese – as well as marine litter which can harm them. She explains how she got involved in beach clean ups on a regular basis to help protect her home and the animals who visit. Angela shares the simple and quick activities and routines we can build into our daily lives to help protect the environment. Watch more here.
Hannah Tofts, another environmental hero is an artist and designer, living in coastal Argyll. Hannah creates visual impact imagery from sea trash to help spread a bigger message about what we throw away into our waters. Her work helps to inspire children to protect the marine environment, and in turn she hopes they will help teach and inspire their own parents to do the same. Watch Hannah’s message here.
Light aircraft pilot, David Brown, a volunteer with the Civil Air Support Charity, explains how he’s helping SCRAPbook_Scot undertake photographic aerial surveys of Scotland’s coastline. They fly over every ‘nook and cranny’ along the coast to record marine litter, highlighting areas of pollution, and giving much needed data to volunteer beach cleaning groups. Find out more about David’s work.
We’re looking forward to showcasing more Environmental Heroes later this year.