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Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Article by Text and Photographs by Nikita Smith | Environment Captain
Keeping our Beaches Beautiful and Healthy: 5 Tips to Protect Our Local Beaches and Environment This Summer
If you’re a beachgoer, you may have noticed that during the busy summer months, our beautiful beaches sometimes don’t look their best. Increased visitors can mean more litter, disturbed wildlife, and fragile ecosystems under pressure. The good news? There are plenty of simple things you can do to help keep our beaches clean, and protect the environment while enjoying the sun and surf at our beautiful local beaches.
1. Make it your goal to pick up litter whenever you see it, and encourage others to do the same. The motto “Pick up three for the sea” is a great reminder, but if you can do more, even better! Help keep our coastlines clean by taking your rubbish with you or disposing of it properly in bins. Always bring a bag to the beach so you can easily collect your own waste, and consider picking up any litter you come across. Even small items like bottle caps, food wrappers, or cigarette butts can be carried by wind or tides into the ocean, where they pose a serious threat to marine life.It only takes a minute, but your actions make a real difference in protecting our beaches and the animals that call them home.
2. Let’s stop plastic pollution at the source by avoiding single-use items wherever possible. Simple swaps, like using a reusable drink bottle, packing lunch in a container, or wrapping snacks in beeswax wraps, can significantly reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans. These simple changes to your daily routine make a big impact over time. Make the swaps, and help keep plastic out of our beautiful coastal environment.
3. Respect wildlife and vegetation. Our coastal areas are home to a rich variety of wildlife and delicate plant life that play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Whether you're out for a walk, taking photos, or simply enjoying the view, it's important to tread lightly and be mindful of your surroundings. Stay on marked paths to help prevent erosion, and keep a safe distance from wildlife to avoid disturbing their natural behaviour.
4. Many sunscreens contain chemicals that harm coral and marine life and many people aren't aware that their sun screens can make a difference to our ecosystems. To help protect ocean ecosystems, choose reef-safe options made with mineral-based ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. It’s a small change that can make a big difference.
5. Join or support local clean-up efforts. Take part in community beach clean-ups organised by local groups or councils, or start a family tradition of doing a mini clean-up every time you visit. Every small effort counts and helps keep the Bellarine’s coastlines pristine and enjoyable for everyone to enjoy.
Join BeachPatrol | Bellarine Peninsula!
BeachPatrol organises monthly volunteer clean-ups of local beaches and foreshore areas, encouraging everyone to pledge just one hour of cleaning each month.
When & Where: The Bellarine group meets on the 2nd Sunday of every month, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
Come along, meet like-minded people, and make a real difference in keeping our coastline healthy and beautiful.
Feature
Events
Our News // 23 October 2025
Article by Text and Photographs by Nikita Smith | Environment Captain
Keeping our Beaches Beautiful and Healthy: 5 Tips to Protect Our Local Beaches and Environment This Summer
If you’re a beachgoer, you may have noticed that during the busy summer months, our beautiful beaches sometimes don’t look their best. Increased visitors can mean more litter, disturbed wildlife, and fragile ecosystems under pressure. The good news? There are plenty of simple things you can do to help keep our beaches clean, and protect the environment while enjoying the sun and surf at our beautiful local beaches.
1. Make it your goal to pick up litter whenever you see it, and encourage others to do the same. The motto “Pick up three for the sea” is a great reminder, but if you can do more, even better! Help keep our coastlines clean by taking your rubbish with you or disposing of it properly in bins. Always bring a bag to the beach so you can easily collect your own waste, and consider picking up any litter you come across. Even small items like bottle caps, food wrappers, or cigarette butts can be carried by wind or tides into the ocean, where they pose a serious threat to marine life.It only takes a minute, but your actions make a real difference in protecting our beaches and the animals that call them home.
2. Let’s stop plastic pollution at the source by avoiding single-use items wherever possible. Simple swaps, like using a reusable drink bottle, packing lunch in a container, or wrapping snacks in beeswax wraps, can significantly reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans. These simple changes to your daily routine make a big impact over time. Make the swaps, and help keep plastic out of our beautiful coastal environment.
3. Respect wildlife and vegetation. Our coastal areas are home to a rich variety of wildlife and delicate plant life that play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Whether you're out for a walk, taking photos, or simply enjoying the view, it's important to tread lightly and be mindful of your surroundings. Stay on marked paths to help prevent erosion, and keep a safe distance from wildlife to avoid disturbing their natural behaviour.
4. Many sunscreens contain chemicals that harm coral and marine life and many people aren't aware that their sun screens can make a difference to our ecosystems. To help protect ocean ecosystems, choose reef-safe options made with mineral-based ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. It’s a small change that can make a big difference.
5. Join or support local clean-up efforts. Take part in community beach clean-ups organised by local groups or councils, or start a family tradition of doing a mini clean-up every time you visit. Every small effort counts and helps keep the Bellarine’s coastlines pristine and enjoyable for everyone to enjoy.
Join BeachPatrol | Bellarine Peninsula!
BeachPatrol organises monthly volunteer clean-ups of local beaches and foreshore areas, encouraging everyone to pledge just one hour of cleaning each month.
When & Where: The Bellarine group meets on the 2nd Sunday of every month, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
Come along, meet like-minded people, and make a real difference in keeping our coastline healthy and beautiful.
