Soon, birds will return from warmer climes, and the breeding season will start, but winter storms have wrought damage to their nesting grounds.
Now we’re going out and cleaning up before the birds arrive.
Globally, at least a million seabirds die annually as a result of marine litter, and the problem is threatening Norway’s birdlife.
The project known as ‘Before the birds come’ aims to clear important nesting areas of marine litter before the breeding season starts and before the traffic ban goes into effect.
‘‘Before the birds come’ is an effective measure which helps to reduce the amount of marine debris in key breeding areas’, said the project’s leader, Malin Jacob.
In 2017, ‘Before the birds come’ will begin on Friday, March the 10th at the southernmost nesting-ground on Runde.
Along with planning the Runde Island clean-up, the organization, Keep Norway Clean invited 47 schoolchildren from Bergsøy primary school to a lecture and clean-up action day.
In Parliament, Pål Farstad of Venstre, is also participating to propagate the same aims and objectives.
The Mayor of Herøy, Arnulf Goksøyr, will officially open this year’s volunteer service on Saturday the 11th of March, at Runde Environmental Centre.
After the opening, there will be lectures, and then volunteers will get to work on the job of clearing the shoreline at Runde. The event is open to everybody.
‘‘Before the birds come’ is a major collaboration, and we could never have done this without our wonderful partners’, said Malin Jacob.
In addition to ‘Before the birds come’, those participating in the initiative at Runde in 2017 will include Statens naturoppsyn, Oslofjordens Friluftsråd (Oslo fjord Outdoor Recreation Council), Ryfylke Friluftsråd, Skerries service, Marinreparatørene, the Norwegian Ornithological Society, Kystlotteriet (Coastal Lottery), Våre Strender (Our Beaches), Sea Sick Fish and the Norwegian Canoe Association.
‘Before the birds come’ is supported by the Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet), and Sparebankstiftelsen DNB.
Source: Hold Norge Rent / Norway Today
