We hate litter. Not only does it look ugly, it’s harmful to the flora and fauna that we share our water with. Unfortunately, whether you swim in a river, lake or ocean, there’s almost certainly litter around, whether it’s been left there by inconsiderate picnickers or been carried in by the wind or currents.

As outdoor swimmers, we

literally immerse ourselves in the

environment. Encounters with litter

are at best unpleasant. They can

even be dangerous. So, this Easter,

let’s clean up and make swimming

outdoors better for everyone.

• Bin liner
• Thick gloves (for safety) and/or litter picker device
• Stout shoes (in case you stand on broken glass)
• Camera or smart phone

We recommend collecting rubbish on

land next to your swim spot rather than going into the water. If you

can remove rubbish from the water

safely using a litter picker, that’s also

fine. Collect as much as you can in 10

minutes (feel free to spend more time

if you like), bag it up in bin liners and

dispose of it properly.

We’d like to share our spring clean

as much as possible on social media

so please take before and after

pictures as well as pictures of what

you collect and especially any unusual

items. Please post these on our

Facebook page (www.facebook.com/OutdoorSwimmerMagazine), Tweet

them to us at @outdoor_swimmer

using #OutdoorSwimmerSpringClean

or send them to us at editor@outdoorswimmer.com.

While we assume you can all swim,

collecting rubbish on a river bank or

by a lake has the potential to result in

an unexpected dip if you slip and fall.

Please take care and preferably work

in pairs. Be particularly careful with

broken glass and sharp metal edges.

Consider wrapping dangerous items

in newspaper or cardboard before

disposing of them.