Plumbing students from Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC) recently swapped their toolkits for litter pickers and buckets to participate in a comprehensive beach clean at Charmouth, located on Dorset’s iconic Jurassic Coast.
The initiative reflected one of the core values of the BTC Advantage, which aims to develop students into community-minded and environmentally aware citizens.
Working in partnership with the esteemed Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, the students dedicated their time to clearing the shoreline of harmful waste. The clean-up went beyond collecting larger items; students were trained to identity and gather microplastics – tiny plastic fragments that pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems.
The project highlighted the ‘Community Minded’ principle of the BTC Advantage, which encourages students to treat others with respect, value diversity, understand global issues such as climate change, and learn how to achieve positive change.
This hands-on experience provided a powerful, real-world lesson in environmental stewardship.
All rubbish and microplastics collected by the students will directly contribute to important national and global research projects. The data will be shared with leading bodies such as the Marine Conservation Society, the Great Global Nurdle Hunt, and Plymouth University, aiding their efforts to monitor and combat ocean pollution.
Nigel Baker, Course Leader, said,
We are incredibly proud of our Plumbing students for their enthusiastic participation. This activity is a perfect example of the BTC Advantage in action; it connects the practical, hands-on skills our students learn with a broader sense of civic responsibility.
Our goal is to develop not just excellent tradespeople, but also engaged members of the community who understand their role in protecting our environment.
During the day, the students also learned from experts at the Heritage Centre about the diverse marine and beach species that are negatively impacted by plastic pollution, deepening their understanding of why such community efforts are vital.
For more information on Plumbing and BTC’s multitude of educational offerings, please visit www.btc.ac.uk or get in touch with the Information & Advice team by emailing info@btc.ac.uk.
