Springing into Action
The High Life Highland Ranger Team organise local Spring Cleans this March and April
On Saturday 22nd March, in glorious spring sunshine (for the most part) and to the tune of newly-arrived chiffchaffs, Highland communities came together to clean up the places we love. From beaches to woodlands, riversides to village streets, our Countryside Rangers led clean-up events in Ullapool, Nairn and Dingwall as part of Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Spring Clean Scotland campaign and what a day it was.
The work couldn’t have been more timely. It was also World Water Day which reminded us of the precious resource that links all our communities – clean, healthy water.
In Ullapool, an amazing 61 people turned out to help Jenny, Wester-Ross Ranger tackle rubbish across the village. From the harbour to the riverbanks, Latheron, the High School area and the stairs leading down to the riverside paths, volunteers collected over 100kg of litter.
One worrying discovery was a pile of broken glass near fresh otter spraint. For these shy mammals, a cut to the foot could be life-threatening. As Jenny said:
“We’ve made the village cleaner, which is nice for us – but the real benefit is for the wildlife. Us dirty humans owe it to the creatures we share this planet with to clean up OUR mess.”
Down the coast in Nairn, Ranger John led a Secrets of the Shoreline session on behalf of the Fornighty Wildlife Group. Thirty volunteers joined in – starting with some lively tidal-themed games before heading out to clean the beach.
Although the beach looked reasonably tidy at first glance, four bags of mixed rubbish were collected – including a massive sheet of plastic, which would have posed a long-term hazard to marine wildlife. After the hard work, families enjoyed some rock pooling with John, discovering starfish, shrimps, mussels, periwinkles, chitons, and crabs.
At Dingwall, 25 volunteers joined Marcia, Easter-Ross Ranger to clean up between Maggie’s Wood and Pefferside Park. Together they gathered an impressive 27 bags of litter – mostly glass bottles, plastic containers and food wrappers, all things that could have been recycled.
🧯Barbie, Beer and Baffling Bits
Alongside the usual haul of bottles, cans and wrappers, our volunteers uncovered a few more unexpected items. Among the strangest discoveries were: a toilet seat, a washing machine door, a Barbie doll, a learner driver plate, and half an onion (the whereabouts of the other half remain a mystery).
A fire extinguisher and a ‘Pawroni’ dog toy – a spoof beer bottle for pups – were found among dozens of actual beer cans and bottles, earning top prize for the day’s quirkiest litter.
It was a timely reminder of just how many human objects, ordinary or odd, end up abandoned in our natural spaces, and how easily they can harm wildlife or end up in our waterways.
🌿 Spring is Here – Let’s Keep It Clean
Across all three locations, it wasn’t just about litter, it was about connection both with nature and our communities. With bees buzzing in the willow flowers, birds singing, and signs of life emerging everywhere, the clean-ups gave people a chance to notice and care for the nature around them.
Every can removed, every bottle picked up, and every plastic wrapper taken away helps create safer, cleaner habitats for animals preparing to breed. And in coastal and riverside communities, it’s especially important – because all rubbish eventually finds its way to the sea.
As dusk fell, many of us took a moment at 8.30pm for Earth Hour reflecting on the ways we can each protect our environment, from picking up litter to switching off the lights.
A HUGE Thank you to everyone who took part on 22nd March. You showed that collective effort really does make a difference.
🧤 Get Involved – Spring Clean Scotland Runs Until 21st April!
Couldn’t make it this time? There’s still plenty of time to join in.
Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Spring Clean Scotland campaign runs until 21st April 2025, the day before Earth Day. Whether you take part in an organised event or simply pick up litter on your daily walk, your actions help protect wildlife and restore pride in our shared places. Keep an eye on our webpages for other volunteering events coming up soon.
Together, let’s show each other that we care about the places we all call home 🌍
