During our recent litter picking sessions at the lakes in Woolwich, we twice noticed this swan living on a particularly litter-strewn bank near the Waterfront Leisure Centre.
Although the swan appears in okay health, and a second swan has been spotted in the area who may be his or her mate, it was still distressing to see an animal living in such filthy conditions, and we were all itching to get down there to make the bank more habitable for him (or her), and other Thames wildlife.
The bank requires a bit of climb however, so it wasn't the ideal location for a big group clean up effort, as less physically able volunteers may struggle to access it. So today myself, Fran and Vicky, who is an organiser of The Royal Arsenal 5k Clean up, decided to get it done between us. Vicky went alone earlier in the day, whilst Fran and I went this afternoon, and we managed to make a huge difference in just a few hours, removing four sacks of litter all together. Mr. Swan was not especially impressed with our efforts though, and spent the last half of our session glaring and hissing at us, in between preening and grooming his feathers.
We also found this amazing ashtray featuring a topless woman, which I will treasure, and one pig slipper, which we decided to part with as Fran and I both already have slippers. This was among all the usual detritus like face masks, plastic bottles, plastic cups, cans, syringes, and takeaway cartons.
There is another litter pick planned for this Sunday, so if you want to get involved, please join The Royal Arsenal 5k Clean up! You can even make a suggestion of a local area like this that needs a makeover.