Rubbish Paddle Results

Congratulations to everyone who showed their love for Llyn Padarn by leaving it tidier than when they arrived on Sunday morning. The litter clean-up of the Llanberis valley lake was organised by the lake-side outdoor activity business and retailer, Surf-Lines, together with us at the ‘Loving our Lake’ project and the Environmental Outdoor Charter Group.

Surf-Lines offered those attending the event a free canoe session or supported swim in return for rubbish collection. Nearly forty people, including many youngsters, got involved in the tidy-up. There were lots of lost wellies (but no pairs), drink cans and even a tea pot among the underwater rubbish collected by the swimmers. Gwynedd Council played a part by taking away the substantial amount of litter and trash collected, with the plastic bottles and cans separated for recycling.

Chris Wright from Snowdonia-Active, leading the ‘Loving our Lake’ project, said: “Today was a good example of how through a simple action the local community and lake users can get involved in looking after the fantastic natural resource that is Llyn Padarn. Everyone can make a difference by reducing their impact on the lake.”

Surf-Lines owner, Phil Nelson, commented: “It was great to see so many people from near and far turn up to lend a hand to start the process of tidying-up the lake. We only scratched the surface of the rubbish that’s out there and we are keen to run another session soon to make a real impact, but we’ll need more help next time.” So keep an eye out for the next ‘Rubbish Paddle & Swim’ event.

Llyn Padarn and its habitat is of national importance and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. On Sunday 19th May a thousand competitors will be braving the chilly waters of Llyn Padarn as part of the Slateman Triathlon, which will be televised for