Media Release - An Evening with Environmentalist and Surfer, Tim Silverwood

Environmentalist and surfer Tim Silverwood will visit Warringah this month as part of a nationwide tour to raise awareness about the harmful effects of plastic pollution on marine life.

Tim recently returned from a research expedition to the North Pacific Gyre – aka the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – and will share the experience at Warringah Council on Friday 20 January.

"A huge amount of our waste ends up in the environment and a growing amount ends up in the ocean," said Tim Silverwood.

Silverwood spent three weeks sailing over 5,000km from Honolulu to Vancouver and discovered that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was more like a "plastic soup" than a floating island.

"Larger plastic items like bottles, bags, buckets and crates don’t retain their structure for long, as the sun's rays beat down and the waves toss them around (and) they break apart into millions and billions of plastic fragments that remain in the ocean," said Silverwood.

Some recent discoveries reveal the devastating impact plastic pollution is having on wildlife close to home. In Ballina, NSW, a Green Sea Turtle was found to have ingested 317 pieces of plastic, while on Lord Howe Island, an 80-day-old Flesh-footed Shearwater chick was found to have 276 pieces of plastic in its stomach.

"We want to make sure that every Australian knows what is happening out there and what they can do to help," said Tim.

An Evening with Tim Silverwood

Friday 20 January, 7 - 9pm

Warringah Council’s Civic Centre, 725 Pittwater Rd, Dee Why

Free, includes light refreshments and screening of documentary, 'Bag it'

Bookings joy.middledorp@warringah.nsw.gov.au