Pristine beaches, beautiful coastlines, incredible rainforests, arid deserts and crisp clean snow - Australia is without a doubt one of the most amazing countries in the world.

So don't you just hate it when you see rubbish littering this beautiful landscape? I mean, when you find out how rubbish affects our environment, you quickly realise it doesn't just look ugly, it can be a serious danger to our wildlife. That's why you'll catch me with my gloves on, cleaning up next Sunday (6th March) for Clean Up Australia Day!

I remember first hearing how plastic bags can wash into oceans and be eaten by turtles, dolphins, birds, etc - blocking their digestive tract, causing them to slowly starve. Now, I can't walk by a stray plastic bag (esp. near waterways) without picking it up and putting it in a bin! This story of 'The Majestic Plastic Bag' puts it well:

And plastic bags are just the start...

You wouldn't think that something as small as the plastic ring around the top of a drink or vitamin bottle could do much harm. But check out what happened to this turtle, who got caught in a plastic ring at a young age, and literally grew around it!
This magpie didn't fare much better! Btw, simply cutting rings before tossing them out is a simple way to avoid this happening to any other animals.

And seeing a snake with her head trapped in a soft drink can is just saddening. Especially when you know how easy it would have been to crush the can and put it in a bin!

Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday, March 6th is a fantastic opportunity to help make Australia even more beautiful, save animals from falling victim to our litter and meet some other caring cleaner-upperers! There are over 5000 volunteer sites all over Australia and you can find one near you simply by typing your postcode in here. If you know of a site that needs attention, you can register that as well!

I'll be down at my local creek the morning of Sunday the 6th, clearing away hazards to animals and prettying up the place! I hope to see you out there!

Are you taking part in Clean Up Australia Day? Where do you plan to clean up?