Littering is on the rise according to the recent ‘killed by marine plastic pollution worldwide each year. To find out more about this issue, and what can be done to help tackle it, we spoke to Georgia Podmore from UK-based charity Freshfields Animal Rescue.
For those who aren’t familiar with Freshfields, please can you tell us a little about the charity?
Freshfields Animal Rescue was founded in 1975 when founder Lesley Tarleton decided to open up her home to unwanted animals. After four years, Freshfields was registered as a charity that helps care for abandoned, abused and unwanted animals along with sick and injured wildlife. The rescue continues to grow each year – currently at the Liverpool centre, we have a range of animals with us, including: dogs, cats, sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens, hedgehogs, domestic birds, wild birds, rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets.
n
We work towards rehabilitating, rehoming or releasing individuals to give them a second chance at life. Alongside this we also run various community outreach programmes to help educate people on the impact that they can have on all species of animals. Our aim is to promote high standards of animal care and welfare, while inspiring people to protect animals and nature, making sure that no animal is left behind.
What is your role at Freshfields?
I work as the Deputy Operations Manager for the farm, small animals and wildlife units. I have only been working in this role since February 2021, so am very new to Freshfields. My main responsibility is to oversee the units, making sure that the teams are supported and have all the necessary equipment, facilities and time to provide the highest standard of care for the animals. It is also part of my role to help promote the work that the staff do, so I regularly take to the Facebook and Instagram pages to post images and videos of the animals we have in our care.
The RSPCA have seen a sharp rise in the number of wild animals injured by litter – have you observed a similar trend through your work with Freshfields and if so, why do you think this is?
There has definitely been a rise in wildlife admittances over the past few years, and in 2020 we admitted 605 wild birds and 493 hedgehogs. We admit wild birds and hedgehogs for various reasons, so all of these did not come to us due to an injury caused by litter. However, with a rise in numbers it can only show that wildlife needs our help, and help from local communities, to support them in their natural environments.
I believe that urbanisation plays a huge role in the current state of UK wildlife – with cities expanding and roads being built between habitats, this increases the risk of wildlife becoming injured by vehicles for example, and also means that they have to travel further to find food. All of this then increases the chances of wild animals becoming trapped in litter along their way. People are not always aware of what wild animals they have on their doorstep – many can happily live in an urban setting – so I urge people to watch out to see what types of wild animals they see around their homes, and then research how you can help them in your garden.
nplastic bag charge was reported to make a huge difference in reducing the amount of bags bought in supermarkets. We have discussed numerous times here at the rescue how the packaging firms need to become more involved in national schemes to educate customers and take responsibility in reducing the amount of packaging that they use.
Members of the public can get involved in helping reduce litter problems through supporting campaigns and petitions that aim to reduce packaging. You can also get involved in beach and street clean ups. ” target=”_blank”>website and follow them on ” target=”_blank”>Twitter and
