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As well as appearing on the RYA’s stand at the PSP Southampton Boat Show again this year, The Green Blue will be holding a number of key events at the show. Press Day, Friday 11th September, sees the winners of our photography competition announced and receiving their prizes. On Tuesday 15th September in the Holiday Inn, our Sustainable Facilities Officer will be running seminars for marine businesses on the marine toolkit. And on Thursday 17th our brand new recycling scheme will be launched. See below for more details of each event. Our congratulationsand best wishes go to our Project Manager Sarah Black, who is now Sarah Brown since her marriage to Colin in June. |
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Marine toolkit seminar at Southampton Boat Show Marine Businesses can come and learn how to make cost savings whilst improving their environmental performance at our marine toolkit seminars running at the Southampton International Boat Show on Tuesday 15th September. Dan Reading, Sustainable Facilities Officer for The Green Blue, will take delegates through a series of case studies and show them how to get the best out of the new online self assessment tool www.marinetoolkit.co.uk These seminars are a must for marine facilities managers interested in environmental performance and saving money. Two one hour seminars will be held in the Holiday Inn on 15th September at 10.30 and 11.45.To secure a place or for more information please call 02380 604242 or email Dan Reading: dan.reading@thegreenblue.org.uk 2009 Conference date and key note speaker announced Hold the date! The Green Blue Conference 2009, sponsored by The Crown Estate will be held at one of London’s most sustainable conference venues, the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre, on Wednesday 4th November 2009. We are delighted that our keynote speaker will be Sir Keith Mills, Deputy Chair of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games 2012, and Principle of Team Origin, opening the proceedings with insights into sustainability for London 2012 and for the future of the marine sector. The focus for the day will be Success and Sustainability for the UK Recreational Marine Sector, and the event is therefore aimed at Marine Businesses with presentations and interactive sessions to understand how to use sustainability to drive performance and cut costs. Bookings will open on the 1st September, however if you would like more details or to register you interest then please contact Helen Waterhouse 02380 604227 helen.waterhouse@thegreenblue.org.uk |
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Boat Owners Warned about Invasive Species Threat. A Marina in Wales has been found to be hosting a potentially highly damaging species of Sea Squirt. Didemnum Vexillum, known as the Carpet Sea Squirt, was found earlier this year by a research student investigating non-native species in North Wales. Didemnum Vexillum is potentially deadly to aquatic life as it smothers marine habitats in thick sheet-like growths. Colonies can be found on wood and metal pilings, moorings, ropes, chain, rocky outcrops, gravel sea beds and boat hulls. The animal can suffocate organisms such as other sea squirts, sponges, seaweeds, scallops, mussels and oysters, and where these colonies occur on the sea bed, can act as a barrier between fish and their food. A task force of experts was brought in to deal with the problem, with the first action being to remove the fouling from the boats that had the sea squirt on them, thus ensuring that they would not transport the organism to other areas. The fouling was then disposed of on land. Particularly badly affected were two boats that had not had hull cleaning carried out for at least two years. The marina took a proactive approach with all of its berth holders and neighbours. Berth holders were written to with details of how to spot and deal with the possibility of having Didemnum Vexillum living on their boat hulls. And posters were distributed to neighbouring boat clubs and other marinas showing what the organism looked like. As it is extremely difficult to identify non-native species, the best course of action for boat owners is to ensure that their hulls are properly scrubbed and antifouled regularly. See The Green Blue website for more information on non native species, and guidance on antifoul. 
Click here to read the full case study
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Mobile Phone and Ink Cartridge Recycling Scheme The Green Blue has joined forces with RYA Sailability to raise money by recycling old mobile phones and inkjet cartridges. There are over 50 million phones in circulation in the UK and over 310 million inkjet cartridges consumed in Western Europe. But what happens to them when they run out or you want to upgrade your phone? Well the reality is that most phones end up stuffed in a drawer or going in the bin to join used cartridges in landfill sites. But believe it or not, there is a market for these used goods and with this in mind The Green Blue and RYA Sailability are asking you to donate your old and used mobiles and cartridges to help raise money for both initiatives. The Scheme will be launched at the PSP Southampton Boat show on Thursday 17th September but you can start donating straightaway if you have an old phone or cartridge at home that you would like to give. Just get in touch and we can send you a recycling envelope. If you would like an envelope dispenser for your office, club or school then just go to www.reclaim-it.com/custom/greenblue.htm and order online. All proceeds will be split 50/50 between The Green Blue and RYA Sailability. |
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With summer upon us, The Green Blue team is busy preparing for and attending the season’s Boat shows and festivals. During the last couple of weeks we have been at the Bristol Harbour Festival, talking to both coastal and inland boaters as well as the North Wales Boat show where we ran children’s activities to help raise environmental awareness amongst young sailors . And over the August Bank Holiday weekend we can be found at the Inland Waterways Association Festival at Rattcliffe-On-Soar near Nottingham. |
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 CompetitionFinal Call for Photo Competition Entries for The Green Blue’s photography competition, the Good, the Bad and the Funny, will be closing on the 24th August, so if you have a photo that you’d like to enter then get your skates on and sent it into us together with a completed application form. The photography competition s all about capturing those unique moments that make our recreational environment so special. We are looking for photographs to help us promote good environmental practices to boaters and marine businesses under three headings; The Good, The Bad and The Funny. Your photo could be a stunning sunset, a funny moment on board, or an interesting wildlife shot. There will be prizes in all three categories as well as an overall prize of a Canon Powershot D10 underwater camera. Winners will be invited to attend the prize giving at the Southampton Boat Show, and the winning photo may feature in the RYA magazine or even make its way onto the RYA and BMF websites. To request an entry form and copy of the rules just email: info@thegreenblue.org.uk |
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