River Cleans
In 2018 we teamed up with 5th Woodbridge Sea Scouts and Explorers, Deben Rowing Club and River Deben Association to clear the opposite riverbank of rubbish as well as 23 land volunteers clearing along the riverbank from Kyson Point to Melton Boatyard and the area around the Community Hall and Kingston Fields. The aim for the Sea Scouts was to earn their Community badges and, of course, for us to clear rubbish from our beautiful Deben river. We are also lucky to have RAMSAR protection for the salt marshes on the Deben at Woodbridge because of their importance for carbon sequestration.
Two buoys, one 200ltr drum, a large piece of polystyrene (probably off a pontoon), an old link of chains, a tyre and other bits and pieces of sailing equipment were some of the rubbish the Sea Scouts collected! Thirty-two bags of rubbish were left quayside as well for Norse to collect.
We repeated our collaboration in 2019. Although we didn’t have such exotic rubbish from the river, we still collected pontoon polystyrene, fishing and sailing rope, and other nautical rubbish. 30+ land-based pickers collected 11 amalgamated bags of rubbish from along the riverbank and around the Community Hall. Jason Alexander of Rubbish Walks came along to help.
Again in 2022, over 52 people teamed up, including usual groups plus members of the Deben Sailing Club and Deben Cruising Club. A huge haul of rubbish was collected from both the river and the land. In our 2023 “catch”, polystyrene continues to be a problem as it breaks down into such small pieces. Fishing nets/lines are also an issue.
In 2024, our fifth River Clean in collaboration with the Sea Scouts resulted in plastic crates, a pillow, a traffic cone, a couple of broken dinghies and other river debris. Disposal of fibreglass dinghies is a complex matter with the materials involved and has to be uniquely dealt with. Less pontoon polystyrene and fishing equipment was collected. A 100m riverbank stretch up near Wilford Bridge was surveyed and submitted to Marine Conservation Society. The Town Crier advertised the event and read the Declaration of the Rights of the River (see video, below). Deben Yacht Club provided free tea and cake for the litter pickers.
In 2025, we carried out our River Clean with a brief talk from the river police at the end. There were fewer bulky items from the river, but the land clean yielded a pair of boots and lots of gas bottles behind litter bins! Cigarette butts are a continuing problem. We surveyed a 100m riverbank stretch along the Tide Mill and the corresponding opposite riverbank. The results were submitted to Marine Conservation Society
