By Bernie Bell
In this year’s on-line Orkney International Science Festival https://oisf.org/fest-events/2020-09-03/, there are a number of events about how to make imaginative use of things we find on the beach – shore-line Wombling, if you like!
Mike and I do a lot of this – bringing things home, either for use as decoration, or for practical use. One thing we could never work out a use for, is those containers – vaguely rectangular – solid plastic – must be useful? And then The Orkney Skylark (aka Catherine Wells) came up with this………
Treasures from the Shoreline events include:-
1) https://oisf.org/fest-event/workshop-make-a-selkies-ghost-net-bracelet/
Among other things – this workshop will show us how to make use of all that old fishing net, snarling up the coastline. Though, local man Mark Cook does a good job of this, single-handedly! https://theorkneynews.scot/2017/02/21/afrayedknot-a-small-local-business-making-a-big-difference

2) https://oisf.org/fest-event/resources-on-the-coast/
This event tells of how the wool from North Ronaldsay seaweed-eating sheep, is made into yarn.

And….how ocean plastic can be re-used, which reminded me of this….. https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/12/23/music-re-cycling-the-ocean/
3) https://oisf.org/fest-event/along-the-tide-mark-gathering-drift-2/
Basically, the wonderful things that anyone can find, when walking on a beach. One of our prize finds, was a coconut! It was still ‘hairy’ when we found it, but a few Orkney winters have smoothed it off.

Where did it come from? How did it end up on Scapa Beach?
4) https://oisf.org/fest-event/riches-of-the-shore-workshops/
Exactly what it says it is – including riches of all kinds –




Here’s a selection of pics of useful things we’ve made from shore-line finds…..
And some things which just look good – or, I think they do! Including ‘A Brick’ – geddit?
And, of course, taking and making with these things, reduces rubbish on the beach, and, therefore, in the sea.
Categories: Science