This page was updated on Tuesday, 29-Mar-2022 20:43:25 BST

LITTER PICKS AT THE WICK COUNTRY PARK

OVERVIEW

Organised Litter Picks have been a regular event at the WCP since around 2005. Initially, they were managed by the Council's on-the-spot representative, the Park Ranger, who organised the many willing volunteers to tackle all sorts of unpleasant, but very rewarding pursuits, including wading in the lake and scrambling through hedgerows in order to 'bag' many lazily discarded items. More recently, since a major reorganistion of the deployment of the Parks & Countryside employees, the Council has stepped back from back from organising these projects, but fortunately the Wickford Wombles have filled the gap.

Our detailed reports on just some of the past 'cleans' give a good indication as to what has been found over the years. But we have to ask ourselves "Why is this activity necessary?"

• It is clear that virtually all visitors to the Park act perfectly responsibly, but, our message is specially for that tiny, but irresponsible, minority: if you were able to bring your FULL bottles, cans, etc to the Park, then are you not also able to take the EMPTIES back home, and dispose of them properly? Why do you have to spoil the enjoyment by others of this lovely Park by throwing your debris into the bushes or into the lake?
• It is clear that most dog-walkers at the Park really do follow the Responsible Dog Owner Code, but there are still a few who fail to 'bag it', and some others who do remember that part of the code, but then decide that carrying the proceeds as far as the next disposal bin is an ask too far. The filled bags really DO NOT belong in the bushes or left on a pathway!!!

Litter Pick at the WCP - January 18th 2022

The Wickford Wombles carried out a litter pick on Tuesday 18th January at 10.30am. The Group does an excellent job in keeping Wickford clear of litter, and we are all very grateful for their work at the Wick Country Park

If you are able to help out with their regular litter picks, please keep an eye out on their plans via their Facebook Page.

Litter Picks at the Park - 2019

Most visitors to the Park do as we all would hope they would do - take any rubbish or recycling generated while visiting the Park back home with them to dispose of it properly. It is a tiny minority of extremely thoughtless and lazy individuals who spoil the Park for everyone else.

From time-to-time there is an organised 'litter blitz', as a result of which bags and bags of rubbish are often collected. One local resident, out of the kindness of her heart, often fills a bag in her own time. Earlier in 2019, the Wickford Wombles had a cleaning session. But none of these very generouas donations of time would be necessary if that tiny minority of thoughtless visitors could learn to be more caring about the Park! We would like to thank those individuals who generously give their time to clear up after others, often selflessly braving adverse weather. The net effect is a beautiful and relaxing environment that can be enjoyed by all visitors - humans, other mammals, birds, insects, etc.

Litter Blitz, Tuesday February 13th 2018

There was a 'litter blitz' at the Wick Country Park on Tuesday, February 13th, as a result of which bags and bags of rubbish were collected. We would like to thank those individuals who baraved the very cold, albeit sunny, day and kindly gave up their time in the interests of improving the environment for all visitors and wildlife. The worst locations were the children's playground area, the margins of the lake, the area near the pillbox, and in the hedgerows around the perimeter of the Park.

Most visitors to the Park do as we all would hope they would do - take any rubbish or recycling generated while visiting the park back home with them and dispose of it properly. It is a tiny minority of extremely thoughtless and lazy individuals who spoil the Park for everyone else.

These pictures show the scale of the problem: bottles in the lake, rubbish thrown in the bushes - and even a discarded fishing reel! Why oh why are a small number of people so thoughtless, lazy, and inconsiderate?



Here are our youngest - and also less young - helpers with some of the bags of rubbish collected.

The 'Weed and Clean' on Monday February 27th 2017

The objective of this major 'Spring Clean' was, of course, to get the Park into good shape for the Spring. Despite the attempts of the weather to throw a spanner in the works, we had a successful day. We are very grateful for the band of volunteers who undertook several 'fascinating' (??) activities, including wading in the Lake (observing all safety practices, of course), scrambling backwards through the hedges, and braving the inside of the pill-boxes - all because a small number of irresponsible Park visitors cannot be bothered to take their litter, and other waste products, home with them for proper disposal.

The day started at 10.00 with exotic chocolates and biscuits and hot drinks - as all busy days should! Then the various sub-groups set forth! Nikki - as organised as she always is - had a prepared list of tasks that needed to be done. Nobody was forced to do anything they were not happy about. In addition to the big clean, in the garden there was a need for light pruning, weeding and removing dead plants. There were experienced volunteers available to offer all the help and guidance needed.

Committee member Ali, not only donned the waders to tackle the junk in the lake, she also took a camera, and captured some memories of the day in pictures, as below.

The first two pictures relate to the lake - firstly some discarded fishing line, and then volunteer Rebecca on 'bank-side' duties. It is so irresponsible to leave the fishing line around. Last Summer, there was a terrible incident at the Park involving a goose and some discarded line - see this page for the full story.



The next picture shows a discarded cycle tyre that had been thrown into the bushes. One just can't help thinking about the amount of effort that someone had gone to just to dispose of this item illegally!



These two pictures below relate to one of the the pillboxes. It was dark, damp, smelly, and cold in there - but that doesn't seem to deter inconsiderate people from breaking in and leaving piles of rubbish behind. All those black sacks in the second picture were filled from just one pillbox.



Here we have Richard wheeling a barrow of 'collections' back to base. The second picture shows the products of the exercise - so many bags! You do not want to ask about the contents of the red and the blue sack - but I'll tell you anyway. The red sack was used solely for bagged dog waste that, instead of being placed in one of the many bins provided around the Park, had just been thrown anywhere and everywhere. Disgusting!



Just to prove that some gardening was actually done! Marie (foreground) and Sue are seen here attacking the forest of weeds that were growing at the base of the rosa regosa that grow in front of the Pavilion Building. And Dorothy was putting her back into it.



More can be read about this project in issue 53 of our Skylarks Newsletter.

The Big Weed and Clean, November 28th 2016

We invited help with this event - and several volunteers came to take part! Maybe it was the offer of cakes and coffee that helped! Please see the message of thanks from our Chair to those who came to help out:

Well, they say the sun shines on the righteous, so somebody must have done a lot of good deeds because the weather for the Big Weed and Litter Pick was glorious! We could not have hoped for better. Wall to wall bright sunshine, and OK it was pretty chilly but with a warm coat and keeping busy it was lovely. Between the eleven of us we cleared a lot of garden ready for the winter, collected bags and bags of rubbish and spruced up the noticeboards. We kept our spirits and energy levels up with regular breaks for tea, coffee and cake. Based on the amount of chatting and laughter I think not only was a great job done, but everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves too. I've had several offers from people to come again, so that can't be bad. A huge thank you to all those who turned up, you made a huge difference and the park, visitors , wildlife, committee and Countryside Ranger thank you.

Nikki Gibson
Chair
The Friends of the Wick Country Park


We have a lovely quote from one of the volunteers that day: "I had a really great volunteer day organised by FOWCP. It was an achievement to help clear the garden area of weeds, lovely to meet new people and a fantastic opportunity to get some fresh air and exercise. A really wonderful initiative to help the local community"

The pictures show Margaret, Chris and Sue thinning out the rampant rudbeckia from between the lovely green-stemmed cornus, Mike with a catch of rubbish, and Peter (in the background) and Marie (with the barrow carrying some more bags of rubbish). [It really would make life easier / better for everyone if that small minority of irresponsible Park visitors could take their rubbish home, rather than throw it anywhere.]

Spring Clean, March 22nd 2016

Our grateful thanks to the small band of volunteers who contributed to the Spring Clean at the Wick Country Park on Tuesday 22nd March. We were rewarded with some splendid warm Spring sunshine. Bags and bags of rubbish were collected - mostly fished out from the lake or from inside the bushes that line the pathways. Thanks to our volunteers, we can all now fully enjoy the Spring foliage and blossom!

More can be read about this project in issue 49 of our Skylarks Newsletter.

Here are some photos of our 'catch'. [No - we didn't 'catch' Wendy: she was one of the 'catchers'!]

Litter Picks, 2005 to 2015

The only records we have of litter picks carried out prior to 2016 are contained within back issues of our Skylarks Newsletter, as detailed below:.

Litter Blitz, February 8th 2015 - issue 45
Litter Pick, March 20th 2011 - issue 29