My home for 5 days

Plastic Bottles from Coca Cola Washed Up on the Beach

Sailing past Caernarvon Castle

I've just had an awesome 5 days sailing round Anglesey doing my Competent Crew sailing certificate.  I discovered I don't get seasick - which is a relief.   I loved learning about how to use the wind to travel, not relying on fuel.  I also discovered that sailing has a whole language of it's own.  We saw porpoises, seals, cormorants and other sea birds AND a lot of floating plastic, particularly bottles - coke bottles.

You may be aware that there are various petitions going on to get Coca Cola to take more responsibility for the billions of plastic bottles they produce every year.  They claim to use recycled plastic, but the fact is it's only about 6%.  Plastic is designed to never break down, and yet much of it is only for single use.  Only about 10% of plastic is recycled due to the cost and difficulties of separating it.  The remainder is sent to landfill although much escapes and ends up floating downhill into the sea.  In countries where there are no rubbish collections, the plastic just piles up in the environment, particularly on beaches.

Once in the sea it is battered constantly by the waves, affected by UV radiation and breaks down into ever smaller and smaller pieces - what we call micro plastic which gets mixed up with the plankton floating on the ocean surface.  Plankton is the food source for all life in the sea.  To make matters worse this plastic acts as a sponge for the synthetic chemicals washed into the sea - PCB's, flame retardants, dioxins etc - and is eaten by fish, birds and sea mammals.  The micro plastic is now becoming so small, (added to by micro beads in beauty products and fibers from washing 'fleece' type clothing) that it is passing through the digestive systems of fish and finding it's way into our food supply.

Exxpedition UK 2017 will be sampling the micro plastics floating in the offshore waters of the entire coast of the UK.  It is being funded by each participant.  If you would like to contribute to my fare, enabling me to use my science, art, health and teaching background to understanding the full extent of the problem surrounding the UK, please visit my crowdfunding page www.gofundme.com/plasticseas

Thank you

Sphere Made from Single Use Plastic Champagne Flutes
by Deborah Maw, 2010

Welcome to readers from the Marine Conservation Society website.

To my regular readers, my blog is now linked to the MCS website, which is very exciting.

A bit of introduction for new comers.
This blog came about because I am part of an all female crew of citizen scientists sailing around the UK in August 2017 sampling the entire UK coastal waters for micro plastic.  This is the first time the entire coastline is being sampled and is being funded by the crew themselves.  The results will be freely available once processed and various students have completed their theses.

The expedition has been organised by Pangaea who have already undertaken two such citizen science expeditions in other parts of the globe, contributing to the knowledge of micro plastic pollution now widely circulating.

This expedition is a bit more extensive as we will be stopping at various ports, including the capital cities Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh and London, to do outreach work; science and art, talks and teaching about the issues of plastic.

I am particularly interested in this expedition as it encompasses many aspects of my career history and interests.  I started as a research Biochemist, getting a PhD, then became a teacher of science, after which I retrained as a complementary health therapist.  Then 10 years ago I went back to college gaining a foundation degree in art and design specialising in using waste materials, particularly single use plastic and have since been teaching art using waste materials in various settings to promote environmental awareness.  Finally I have a passion for the sea, walking and wild camping the long-distance UK coastal paths and a goal to learn to sail in 2017.  I'm booked onto a competent crew course next week!

My intention of the blog is to keep friends, family and followers informed of the expedition; fundraising, preparations, experiences and results.  I am also publishing images of my waste plastic art work, much of which is sea plastic, photos taken on my coastal walks.

Fundraising
Each member of the crew must pay for their passage.  I have created a crowdfunding page www.gofundme.com/plasticseas and I am selling cards of my sea plastic artwork and making earrings from plastic bottles that I find.  So far I have raised nearly 20% of my fare. If you can donate anything please go to my fundraising page.  I will also be doing some talks/film viewings. If you would like to buy some crafts or host a talk/film please email me deborahmaw@hotmail.co.uk

Preparations
Although not a prerequisite, I am taking a 5 day competent crew course next week (try out my sea legs), which was a 60th birthday present to myself. I'll be sailing from Port Dinorwic to Holyhead on Anglesey.
One of my roles for the expedition is to organise our visit to Stornoway. We will be holding a day or art and science workshops in the Art Centre, An Lanntair on August 21.  I will also be involved in Edinburgh where we have access to ASCUS, a science laboratory full of microscopes, some with cameras.  I'm planning to do some art of microscopic images of micro plastic.  I have also been involved in applying for funding from the Wellcome Institute in London. My sea plastic cards are being used as group crowdfunding gifts and the images are to be displayed in an art gallery in Aran where we will also be stopping.
Amazingly - a fellow crew member lives in Macclesfield where I am often based.  We will be contacting our local paper, radio station and businesses for support.

More to come.....

www.gofundme.com/plasticseas

Hi everyone
Expedition preparations well under way now.  Super surprised to find another crew member living in the same town as myself - we met up today.  She lectures in environmental history, and having previously researched asbestos is now researching plastic.  We'll be contacting the local paper and radio station together etc.  Great to have someone to meet up with.

Other news:-
This blog is to be used on the Marine Conservation Society UK website - wow
I've raised about one thousand four hundred and seventy pounds so far - next target two thousand.
An art gallery in Aran is to display my photos of waste plastic art - I've sold well over 50 cards now.

My crowdfunder site is still open if you'd like to support me
www.gofundme.com/plasticseas

Plastic Sundial

Hi everyone

Time is racing on - for the start of the Exxpedition and for taking action.

I've - belatedly maybe - discovered the term 'Citizen Science'.  As the name suggests it's when citizens take science into their own hands, often under the umbrella of a scientific organisation, however, more and more citizens are seeing the need to engage in the scientific research that isn't being funded elsewhere.  Sea Plastic is a notable example.  There are now several independent expeditions doing research.

Expedition UK 2017 is the first scientific exploration of the British coastal waters and it is being completely funded by citizens such as myself - because we see the need and the urgency.  As well as  doing the science we will also be doing outreach to various communities at the ports where we are stopping - Plymouth, Cardiff, Belfast, Arran, Stornoway, Edinburgh and London.  (If you'd like to participate in any of these do get in touch).  We will be doing lots of art with plastic that is collected.  This expedition really brings in all my skills, as a research scientist and waste plastic art teacher.

Amazingly I already have over a thousand pounds raised, however, I've still got a long way to go find the full funding to finance myself to do this work - if you can donate a few pounds or more that would be awesome.  Go to my gofundme site or make a direct donation which means I get all of it.  I'm also selling cards and waste plastic earrings.

Thank you

www.gofundme.com/plasticseas

Dutch Paddle Steamer

Hi everyone.  The crew is starting to come together, preparing workshops and other activities at the ports we are stopping off at: Plymouth, Cardiff, Belfast, Arran, Stornaway, Edinburgh, London and back to Plymouth.  If you live in any of these places and would like to be part of the activities do get in touch.
Remarkably I have discovered that one of the crew lives in Macclesfield too, we'll be meeting soon.
Sales of my plastic bottle crafts and photo cards are doing well. Get in touch if you'd like any.
I also have a raffle going, two pounds a go, cash prize for winner.

It was my 60th birthday on the 11th and I received this stunning card from a new friend called Gracie and her family.  I know they read this blog and will be delighted to see their card.

I was at Woolacombe beach today, North Devon.  3 miles of stunning gently sloping sandy beach; the perfect family beach holiday location.  Indeed from a distance it looks stunning, and even clean, no large bits of plastic littered about.  However, walk down onto the beach and the tidelines are trails of micro plastic, the top half of the beach is covered with it - like some sort of weird beach mosaic.  I wanted to cry seeing some children happily playing in the sunshine, barefooted, with buckets and spades right near a huge area of colored debris.

My Facebook feed is full of items on micro plastic, probably because I'm posting so much, however it's obviously a top environmental topic right now.  I'm a great believer in Zeitgeist and I seem to have become part of one now.  It feels great to get my teeth into something so meaningful, just wish it wasn't necessary.

www.gofundme.com/plasticseas  my fundraising page