New Wave Love the ocean? Take part in a marine-protection initiative.

Next time you enjoy a break beside the seaside, give back by getting behind these people-led, marine-protection initiatives, writes Sarah Pickette.

Sun, sea, sand: the love we Australians have for our beaches is as powerful as the waves that roll onto them. So we have every reasonto keep them clean. Harness your appreciation and lend your support to these beach-focused environmental initiatives.

Take 3 for the Sea Based in Sydney but with its sights set on establishing campaigns globally, Take 3 for the Sea’s premise is pleasingly simple: when leaving the beach, waterway, river – anywhere – take three pieces of discarded rubbish with you. “We believe lots of small individual actions can have a big impact on the planet,” says Tim Silverwood, co-founder and CEO of the not-for-profit organisation. “It’s thought that 80 per cent of the plastic that ends up in our oceans comes from land. By picking up rubbish from and near our beaches, we can prevent the problem in the first place.

Every ‘micro clean-up’ helps.” take3.org

The Last Straw If Take 3 for The Sea is an easy concept to grasp, The Last Straw campaign relies on an even simpler premise: if you’re offered a straw with a drink you purchase, politely refuse. The campaign is two-pronged, aimed at both individuals and eateries and bars, and sets out to address the disconnect between the straw in your hand and the impact plastic pollution has on our oceans. “A plastic straw in your drink might seem innocent enough, but multiply that by the billions of people who buy drinks across the world daily and you get an idea of the scale of the problem,” says

Eva Mackinley, founder of The Last Straw. Say no to straws – and as many other single-use plastic items as you can – and encourage children to do the same. laststraw.com.au

Tangaroa Blue An Australian not-for-profit organisation, Tangaroa Blue focuses not only on the removal and prevention of marine debris, but also on analysing what’s been collected in order to develop ways to help stop litter at its source and to lobby industry and government for change. The group is always keen to find volunteers who’ll arrange a local beach clean-up and then enter details of what they’ve found into the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) database. Since 2004, more than 8.2 million pieces of data have been logged on the AMDI database, creating a comprehensive overview of the amounts and types of marine debris impacting Australian beaches. tangaroablue.org #

‘ WE BELIEVE LOTS OF SMALL , INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THE PLANET. BY PICKING UP RUBBISH FROM AND NEAR OUR BEACHES, WE CAN PREVENT [IT FROM ENDING UP IN THE OCEAN].’ TIM SILVERWOOD, TAKE 3 FOR THE SEA