Save our seas

In the Diocese of York, many of our towns and villages sit on the coast of the North Sea. Twelve Wildlife Trusts (including Tees Valley and Yorkshire), located across the East coast of England have teamed up to promote protection of the North Sea's weird and wonderful marine wildlife, from the smallest plankton to the largest whales.

Visit the the North Sea Wildlife website to discover what they do , and what you can do to help protect our seas – their tips include:

• Getting outside - Take some time out and discover your local marine life. Why not take a trip to your local coastline and discover what's around you. Look in a rockpool, go for a walk or just sit and have an ice cream watching the waves roll in. Discover what's out there and why it's important, discover its value to you.
• In the home - Making changes to your everyday lifestyle can reduce your personal impact on our environment. Use environmentally friendly detergents and avoid toxic chemicals in your home and garden. Reduce, reuse and recycle your rubbish and watch what you flush. Every year hundreds of thousands of used cotton buds end up on our beaches after being flushed down the toilet!
• Eating right - Watch what you eat and buy only seasonal and locally caught fish that hasn't been over-fishing or captured through methods which cause harm to the environment. Check the labels for details or how and where your seafood has been caught, if it's not clear, ask the fishmonger for details. Supermarkets are becoming more and more aware of the need to stock sustainably caught seafood. Do not be afraid to ask for their help in choosing what to buy. 

Eleanor Course