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.