Claudy Country Park. Photo: Martin McKeown.
A small band of volunteers has joined Derry City Council staff to help clean up Claudy Country Park as part of the “Adopt-a-Stream” project run by Faughan Valley Landscape Partnership in partnership with Loughs Agency.
The volunteers pulled out 30 bags of rubbish plus tyres, car body work, gutter pipes, traffic cones and other recyclable items that could have been left at the Council’s nearby recycling centre.
Staff and volunteers were surprised at the amount of rubbish that has accumulated in the Park and was found mainly in areas where it was fly tipped over fences.
The waste collected was all taken to the nearby centre for recycling.
A small proportion of the litter gathered by volunteers.
Annie Mullan, Community Engagement Officer with Faughan Valley Landscape partnership was surprised by the waste.
She said: “It is obviously a minority that does this but I would plead with people to take their waste to the recycling centres provided or ring Derry City Council for a large item removal. This waste is an eyesore but it can also have a detrimental effect on our wildlife especially if it gets into the River Faughan which is a protected area for nature.”
Mayor of Derry, Cllr. Martin Reilly, also voiced his concerns over the littering problems.
He said: “Claudy Country Park is a valuable resource for the local community, we are asking the public to deal with their litter responsibly and especially when travelling in their cars.
“A large amount of the litter seems to have been dropped by passing cars and lorries. Keep your litter in the car and take it home to dispose of it properly please. It is an offence to drop litter.”
Faughan Valley Landscape Partnership’s “Adopt-a-Stream” project assists groups to look after a section of waterway close to them through clean-ups and water quality monitoring.
If you have a group that is interested in learning more contact Annie Mullan, telephone 028 71337498. Email: [email protected] or visit www.faughanvalley.com
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