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Big Dee Day 2019 – what are you doing for your Big Dee Day?

Published: 02/07/2019

The Big Dee Day is one of the biggest community and conservation based events in North East Wales and North West England and has been a well-established, annual event since 2007, for which Flintshire, Cheshire and National Resources Wales are key stakeholders. Covering the coastline and tributaries from Talacre to Chester and Llangollen and north Shropshire the Big Dee Day is not just a large scale litter pick it’s so much more.

It is estimated more than 12 million tons of plastic, from bottles and bags to microbeads end up in our oceans every year (greenpeace.org.uk) and the River Dee, its estuary, river banks and marshes have the potential to capture a significant amount of plastic. In Flintshire hundreds of people take part every year working hard to clear rubbish from the river embankments and beaches collecting hundreds of bags of litter as well as sprucing up the special places along the River Dee’s banks, coast and catchment area. Their efforts are coordinated by the Council's Countryside Rangers who take the opportunity to work with many community groups, schools and numerous businesses including Tesco, Airbus, Kingspan, ENI, and many others.

This year’s event will be launched on 13th September and will mark the beginning of a week of clean-up events along the River Dee and its catchment area in Flintshire, Cheshire, Shropshire and Wrexham and we want to know what you are  doing to do to support your Big Dee Day! Are you part of a community group? Do you already take part in Big Dee Day each year and intend to do so again this year?  Is this the first time on board with the Big Dee Day? If so, let us know where you will be and what will you be doing. 

Together, let’s all make a BIG difference to our Dee this year, for #BigDeeDay.

Cllr. Carolyn Thomas Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Countryside Services said;

“The River Dee and its estuary is a marine environment of regional, national and international importance and it is vital that we all understand the threats it faces from waste materials, particularly plastic, and what we can do to combat those threats.

“The Big Dee Day is dedicated to highlighting the magnificent, but fragile marine environment of the River Dee and the need for it be respected, valued and protected.

“We can now look forward to this year’s events and make the River Dee a nicer place for all.”

Please contact Flintshire County Council’s Countryside Rangers on 01352 703900 or via social media (@Countryside&Coast) for further information or to let them know what you are doing for your Big Dee Day.