We are delighted to share that we have donated £1,000 to the Marine Strandings Network.
Based in Cornwall, at Boutique Retreats we are deeply connected to the sea: our workplace, our home, and our sanctuary. It was wonderful therefore to be able to support the Marine Strandings Network, a Cornish charity dedicated to protecting our coastlines.
A flagship project of Cornwall Wildlife Trust, the Marine Strandings Network has been monitoring and documenting marine wildlife strandings around Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for the last 20 years. Working as a partner within DEFRA’s Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP), they collect and record vital information about the health of our marine environments.
Manned by volunteers, the charity trains and supports a team of more than 200 volunteers who run a dedicated Strandings Hotline and respond to calls by recording all reported strandings of marine life around the Cornish coast. Recording, photographing, and documenting strandings, the team examines the individual and collective health of dolphins, whales, porpoises, seals, turtles and more to better understand the challenges faced by our wildlife. With nothing too great or too small, all marine life from violet snails to basking sharks are recorded.
Providing a greater insight into, and understanding of, marine threats such as bycatch, plastic pollution, and climate change amongst other pressures, Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network campaign for and champion changes to proactively manage and mitigate these issues. Promoting a healthier environment for our marine wildlife and the wider ecosystems and habitats of our coast, this incredible charity strives for a brighter, safer and more sustainable future for us all.
Speaking on behalf of the Marine Strandings Network, Rowan Hartgroves of Cornwall Wildlife Trust expressed: “The vital information we can glean from MSN’s research can be heart-breaking but is so important; vitally, it helps us to identify trends and to improve our ability to support marine life in Cornwall by raising awareness and influencing policy. Thank you to Boutique Retreats for thinking of us for your donation, we really appreciate your support”.
If you come across any perished stranded marine life around Cornwall’s coastline please be sure to call the Marine Strandings Network on our hotline 0345 2012626 . Additionally, if you see a live stranded marine creature which looks in distress or injured, please contact the British Divers Marine Life Rescue immediately on 01825 765 546. Click here to find out more about the invaluable work of the Marine Strandings Network .
To get involved, you can also keep an eye on Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s events page.
