Funding secured to improve access across Scilly’s Nature Sites
Monday 19th March 2018
MTS Terramare arriving in Scilly laden with Recycled Plastic Boardwalk materials
Thanks to significant funding from the Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust, we are pleased to announce that the majority of the remaining timber boardwalk at Higher & Lower Moors can now be replaced with new recycled plastic boardwalk.
Nigel Payne from the Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust said: “Peter was particularly fond of the Isles of Scilly and visited regularly with his wife Pat. Coupling that with his love of Wildlife, his Trustees felt this project was an ideal match. He was probably the greatest Sports commentator of all time and when he retired in 1997 he set up his Charitable Trust and worked tirelessly for welfare causes mainly animal related. He died in 2015 but his Trust continues and is determined to protect his memory whenever and wherever it is able".
Sarah Mason, Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust CEO, stated: “This is a fantastic boost for the Islands, making the wonderful nature trails a safer and more environmentally-friendly place to visit. The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is incredibly grateful for the generous support given by the Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust to enable this project to go ahead and we hope that all who use the nature trails, both residents and visitors will appreciate them just a little bit more now!”
The new recycled plastic boardwalk, destined to replace 400m of the current timber boardwalk, arrived on Scilly today after quite a journey and will be installed in stages over the next 2 years.
The logistics of transporting 33 tonnes of materials contained on 61 pallets to the Islands, from our supplier Filcris, have definitely kept Head Ranger, Darren Mason, busy. Involving lorries, storage facilities, forklift trucks and landing crafts; plans have been made, changed, re-arranged and altered as inevitably happens when attempting to get large amounts of cargo to an Island by sea.
The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust would like to thank everyone involved* for their patience, assistance and understanding during what has been, for some, an incredibly steep learning curve and a test of their endurance and resolve.
The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust team will be replacing 400 metres of boardwalk over the coming years and will also add a plaque to thank the Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust for their generous support.
*Filcris, IOSSG, AR Newport, St Mary’s Harbour Team, Richard Hand Haulage, Marine & Towage Services, Penzance Harbour Office
Click on the image below for more pictures of the boardwalk arriving, where it is destined to end up and work previously carried out by our Ranger Team replacing the old wooden board walk with the new recycled plastic.
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Further information:
The recycled plastic boards are not only flexible and high impact resistant but they will not rot or degrade in water; they are unaffected by salt and salt water, which is imperative in Scilly.
The recycled plastic boards are made from down-cycled or end of life plastics; meaning that on average every metre of boardwalk diverts the equivalent of 1000 plastic bottles from landfill, as the plastic can no longer be recycled or repurposed due to lack of purity.
With the 400 metres due to be replaced that’s the equivalent of 400,000 plastic bottles in addition to the 205 metres (205,000 plastic bottle equivalent) already installed across Higher & Lower Moors.
More information regarding the work that has already been carried out by our Ranger Team at Lower Moors and Higher Moors can be found in the links below:
Did you know?
- 1 Million Plastic Bottles are bought around the world every minute
- Approximately 275,000 tonnes of plastic are used each year in the UK. That’s about 15 million bottles per day, with fewer than half being recycled.
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