Small Actions Towards a Cleaner Future: Lancashire Beach Clean
In the face of climate anxiety, I’ve been reflecting on what small, actionable steps I can take to create a future that I want to see. By taking small actions and joining a community of litter pickers passionate about a clean environment for all, my hope for the future is slowly returning.
Nature and Mental Health
I always speak openly about how both my creative practice and my mental health rely heavily on the natural world. Research shows that connecting with nature can reduce levels of poor mental health, including depression and anxiety. It also improves feelings of calmness, joy, and creativity.
Climate Anxiety
At the moment, it feels as though we are bombarded with a never-ending stream of negative news about the environment. From our rivers and seas being polluted, the loss of wild habitats to our wildlife, microplastics, and the constant news of climate change, it’s overwhelming.
I’ve been experiencing climate anxiety, which I know I’m not alone in. On World Earth Day in April, this anxiety was at an all-time high. I was left feeling without hope, as so many of these issues are at such a large scale it felt as though my individual actions were inconsequential.
Litter Picking
When I’m out on my daily walks with my dog Bruce, I’m always litter picking. It’s one small action where you can easily remove pollution and contribute towards a cleaner environment. World Earth Day prompted me to think about how I could channel my climate anxiety into positive change.
After some research, with some great resources from Keep Britain Tidy and CleanUpUK, I found out that you can apply for a free litter picker from most councils in the UK. I simply phoned my local council office, applied for a litter picker, filled out a couple of forms, and a few weeks later someone from Wyre Council delivered a litter picker, bag hoop, bin bags, and a bin key to my house! Now, every time I’m in a densely littered area I know I can take direct action without picking up litter by hand (though I still end up picking litter up by hand if I don’t have my picker and hoop with me).
Keep Britain Tidy offers some excellent resources and information on how you can get involved in litter picking. Their mission to eliminate litter, end waste, and improve places resonates with my own beliefs, as I’m sure it does with many others.
Knott End Beach Clean
Since getting my litter picker, I wanted to get more involved within my community. I discovered a monthly beach clean at Knott End, Lancashire, organised by the Wyre Rivers Trust, an organisation I greatly admire. The event was advertised as, “fresh air, exercise, meet new people, and help the environment” - what's not to like?
I had a fantastic morning volunteering with a lovely group of people who all wanted to do their bit to help the environment. It’s astonishing how much plastic was picked up in just under two hours, amounting to around 12 full bin bags, along with other large pieces of plastic including a bin lid and fishing rope.
I asked one of the regular volunteers what the weirdest thing she’d ever found, and she mentioned a full set of rattan garden furniture as well as toys from the 60s and 70s.
It felt heartwarming to be among a group of people who all care about nature, wildlife, and reducing pollution. Walking alongside the River Wyre, back to the car park with a bag full of litter, with views of the Lake District in the distance, I felt hopeful, which is something I hadn’t felt for a while.
The group meets monthly at 10:15 am at Knott-End Pier, and there are many other beach cleans happening in the Wyre Catchment area. Check out The Wyre Rivers Trust's website for more information on how you can get involved.
I’m trying to shift my mindset from paralysing climate anxiety to a hopeful future by considering what small, meaningful actions I can take to keep our planet clean, safe, and beautiful. One small choice in the right direction still has a positive impact, no matter how seemingly small.
