Press Release Penguins team up with NARC divers to protect marine life
Folly Farm, South Wales’ popular adventure park and zoo, has joined forces with a group of voluntary divers who clean up Pembrokeshire’s seabed. The tourist attraction, which recently housed 24 endangered Humboldt penguins, is fundraising for sponsor of voluntary organisation, NARC, funding underwater dives that protect wildlife from the dangers of discarded ocean litter.
Folly Farm’s latest partnership demonstrates a commitment by the family destination to taking care of the environment. The new penguin enclosure was installed with an eco-friendly saltwater pump system, making it the first saltwater enclosure for penguins in Wales and one of the most environmentally conscientious and technologically advanced in the UK.
NARC, which stands for Neptune’s Army of Rubbish Cleaners, work along a number of sites on the Pembrokeshire coastline, collecting litter that has a negative impact on the habitat and wildlife. Divers descend in pairs with scissors, bags, trays and lifting bags, and dives can last almost an hour, with everything from shopping trolleys, car batteries, bikes and fishing tackle being removed, cleaned and recycled where possible.
Tim Morphew, Zoo Manager at Folly Farm, said: “Taking care of the environment is a cause close to Folly Farm’s heart and teaming up with NARC was a natural partnership. “Folly Farm is all about wildlife conservation, and helping children learn a respect for wildlife and the natural world, so we jumped at the chance to support hard-working volunteers making such a difference to the environment. “We’re looking forward to supporting the next dive – our penguin mascot Pedro is already digging out his wetsuit.”
David Jones, Secretary at NARC, said “Along with our dedicated volunteers our funders and sponsors are key to us being able to carry out our clean up dives. Quite simply without them we wouldn’t be able to get out there and collect the marine litter that can be so damaging to marine life. We are really excited about our partnership with Folly Farm and look forward to many years of working together to raise awareness of the litter in our oceans and what we can do to help.”
