Kids lead the way on Bétahon beach clean

24 Jun 2012, 11:49UTC

Kids lead the way on Bétahon beach clean

Stella Rytel/Volvo Ocean Race

Children set the example as a group of volunteers left Bétahon beach looking spotless as part of the indefatigable campaign to Keep the Oceans Clean!

Volunteers spend the morning cleaning rubbish from the local beach, which will then be turned into art and presented in the Volvo Ocean Race village in Lorient, France, during the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.

Stella Rytel/Volvo Ocean Race

The youngsters took to the cleaning with an energy that ensured every inch of terrain was completely rubbish-free in a beach clean organised by Surfrider Foundation Morbihan.

"Children make up the best audience to have at these cleans," João Parrinha of Skeleton Sea, the artists' collective who are leading the campaign. "They are so interested and engaged and eager to learn more."

Parrinha will lead the children in the next phase of the operation too -- as the flotsam and jetsam found during the beach clean is turned into an eye-catching sculpture during a series of art workshops this week.

Afterwards, Maryse Deniaud from Surfrider Foundation Morbihan spoke to the young audience about the importance of keeping our beaches clean.

The Art Workshops are running each day until Saturday from 10am-12pm and 1pm-4pm in the tent beside the Volunteers Centre at the Race Village in Lorient and everyone is welcome.

This week will see over 400 school children creating plastic fish and marine creatures from the collected rubbish, which will be put together by Parrinha to form a collaborative installation called 'The Sea.'

The artwork-in-progress can be seen in the Race Village outside the Workshop space -- a colourful and creative reminder of the importance of keeping the oceans clean.