Every little helps

Some time ago, when I was walking through Truro, someone pushed a religious pamphlet into my hand. It contained a story which, although its moral concerned doing good to people, appealed to me as a nature conservationist (and of course nature conservation is ultimately about doing something for the benefit of people).

The story involved an author, Lorans Eisley, who was walking along a beach where thousands of starfish had been stranded. A boy was picking them up one by one and throwing them back into the sea. The author asked what difference it could make to save so few when so

many were doomed to die. Picking up and throwing another starfish, the boy replied: "It is going to make a lot of difference for this one." The author went home to continue his work but found he was unable to concentrate. He returned to the beach and spent the rest of the day helping the boy to throw starfish back into the sea.

The Trust's education and publicity section has been working closely with Seaquest, both through our educational activities and through our media work, to encourage everyone to make small (or large if they prefer) changes in their daily lives to help the marine environment.

Examples of actions suggested in the current issue of our junior magazine Pawprint include buying your fish from Cornish fishermen (as opposed to supporting the huge fishing vessels from further afield which are so damaging to our dolphins and fish stocks) and making sure there is a bin in your bathroom (so that non-biodegradable items are not flushed down the toilet and into the sea).

Please check out the Trust's diary of events to join us in exploring our wonderful marine world and to find out what you can do to help save it.

Mark Nicholson

For anyone who grows frustrated when our conservation message doesn't seem to be taking effect quickly enough, working with children can be a very refreshing experience. Free from the blinkers of adult prejudice, children are able to accept the wisdom of environmental care in a way which many older people find difficult. We can learn a lot from their positive attitude.