SEAQUEST

Seaquest South-West is a joint venture between the Wildlife Trusts of Cornwall and Devon, formed to study marine and maritime wildlife that respects no county boundaries. It was launched on 2nd April. The response has been fantastic, with several hundred people already participating as Coastal Rangers.

Our hope is that many - even very many - of you will join with us as local Coastal Rangers; each and every one of you getting ever more familiar with your local or favourite stretch of coast! You might make notes, then write them up in journal form, supplemented - perhaps - by drawings, maps, plans, photographs, video film or sound recordings.

On the one hand, you would be making what could become a rather lovely family heirloom. On the other, you would each be part of a conservation radar system, scanning for the lovely surprises as well as for potential or actual threats.

In all cases, you would be the local expert on the spot, best able to summon and focus the attention and resources of the Trust. The keynote is promptness. Your promptness enables us to be prompt and thereby to stand the best chance of making an effective response.

We are looking at ways of consulting and working with all the Cornish coastal communities. We will begin with pilot projects aimed at protecting and improving the wilderness value of the coastal zone. You will have a better idea than us of precisely where this effort should be focused. I would like to hear from you.

Stephen Westcott

If you would like a slide and video show about the work Seaquest has done to visit your locality, please let us know. A mobile exhibition on marine/maritime themes will accompany these shows, along with an information sheet about how to participate in Seaquest.