Norwood Primary school pupils pitch in to keep waterways clean

A Tamar NRM initiative, the event aims to draw attention to the impact of humans on the network of streams, creeks, and rivulets in the Kanamaluka/Tamar estuary catchment.

More than 25 school kids across grades three to six took part picking up litter and rubbish from the Carr Villa Flora Reserve on Friday, November 17.

The idea for Norwood Primary School pupils to take part was organised by 12-year-old Jade Newstead, who said she was inspired to make a change by her mother.

"It's important that we pick up our trash and other people's trash because it looks really bad, and it's bad for the environment," Jade said.

Norwood Primary School pupil Zara Cruickshank said it was important to pick up our rubbish to protect the native flora and fauna.

"Life is going to be very different if it's all garbage," Zara said.

"For example, the Great Pacific garbage dump is ginormous. It's almost as big as Alaska - that's colossal.

"So if we can stop that from happening again, that would be a really special thing."

Catch it in the Catchment coordinator Trish Haeusler said as well as removing a lot of rubbish that could end up in our waterways, the clean-up helped to provide an opportunity to educate pupils about microplastics.

"So before we came out today, we had a little chat about what that means that we all live in a catchment, that our rubbish can easily get into gutters, drains, rivulets, rivers, into our estuary and into the marine environment," Ms Haeusler said.

"So we like to catch that rubbish before it gets out into the environment, or our catchment, particularly plastics.

"Plastics don't break down. They break up into smaller pieces of plastic, which can enter our waterways and do further damage."

Ms Haeusler said more than 350 people had participated in the 2023 Catch it in the Catchment event, collecting over a tonne of rubbish.

"While that is a lot of rubbish, we're focusing on the little bits this year, the small pieces hidden in plants that don't get picked up or get overlooked," she said.

"Sadly, there is so much plastic, and it does not need to be there and can be prevented from entering the streets and surrounding parkland."

To register for Catch it in the Catchment or find out more, visit Tamar NRM's website www.tamarnrm.com.au, their Facebook page, or contact catchitinthecatchment@gmail.com.