Friends of Petersfield Heath clean for the Queen

In preparation for her Majesty’s 90th Birthday, 14 volunteers for the Friends of Petersfield Heath, led by Les Bowden (right), left their normal conservation activities to support this national drive to clear up unsightly litter.

East Hants District Council (EHDC) provided our group with high-viz jackets, litter-pickers and royal purple bags through their cleansing contractor, the Landscape Group Ltd, who collected the filled bags after the event.

Clean for The Queen is a national Litter Pick project that took place over the weekend of 4th to 6th March.  This aimed at encouraging community volunteers to litter pick their local area as part of the celebrations of the Queen’s birthday. Over 20 community groups joined the effort across East Hampshire.

Food packaging, plastic and glass bottles, cigarette packets and take-away cartons, have contributed to a growing menace that affects visitors to the Heath, as well as its wildlife. Of the unusual finds on Sunday were socks and old CD players.