Discovering the wonders of Looe’s marine heritage

On Wednesday 20th February, 20 key representatives from Looe met at the Guildhall to discuss the future of Looe’s Voluntary Marine Conservation Area in the first of, hopefully, many Looe VMCA management meetings. The evening was organised as part of the Cornwall Wildlife Trusts ‘Discovering the Wonders of Looe’s Marine Heritage’ project, which is focusing on and utilizing the VMCA. The project, which is funded by the Heritage Lottery, aims to liaise and work with the local community and schools to inform and engage them about the value of the marine environment and its ecological importance. In doing so we aim to promote and nurture local awareness and responsibility for the well being of the marine environment and appreciation of its importance and value both as a wildlife, and a vital economic, resource.

The project started back in October of 2007, and after a busy 4 months is now in full swing delivering a wide ranging programme of school visits, community workshops, guided walks, Seashore Safaris and similar events based around the VMCA. This will give people of all ages and abilities the chance to explore and learn about this very special place. To date, over 30 school trips are booked in between April to July, resulting in over 500 children visiting Looe Island as well as mainland visits to Hannafore Point. 22 community events have been organized, the most recent being a rockpool arts and crafts afternoon which had an attendance of over 50 people. In addition to the education and outreach programme, a volunteer group of over 50 members has been established to survey and monitor the VMCA, to assess the quality of the area, and to track changes in the future.

With such a positive start and strong community support, the project can only go from strength to strength, so watch this space! To find out more about events, volunteering opportunities, or the project itself and how you may be able to get involve please contact Abigail Crosby, Marine Education Officer, on 07917 765581 or email on abby@cornwt.demon.co.uk

Extract from HVMCA newsletter No.35 Autumn 2004