Marlborough Youth Council wanted to bring awareness to the litter problem on a lesser-known beach in Picton. Plastics, beer bottles, cigarette butts, ropes and rubber were regularly collected as part of their beach clean-ups and litter surveys. Shelley Beach is popular with young people from the town, and they wanted to take action to save it.
Through the Litter Intelligence Education Programme, the students developed the concept of a mural that they pitched to the local council. Marlborough District Council were so impressed with the idea they offered a 30m fence line in a prime area of Picton. The idea escalated with offers of support for paints and materials from local businesses.
Students planned their own mural design and enlisted help from talented peers outside their project group to collaboratively render the first panel for the community mural. The project is ongoing with other schools in the area involved in the Litter Intelligence Education Programme and contributing additional panels promoting the environmental responsibility of protecting the local beach.
“Shelley Beach is something really important to them and has been a place that they identify in their community, so it’s great they can take notice as to why it’s important to them and convey that through art.” - Jodie Griffiths, Marlborough District Council.
The mural received a blessing on its unveiling from local iwi. In attendance on the morning were young people, Councillors, iwi, business community & Queen Charlotte College principal & staff. The young people involved have now had two further requests for murals in Picton.
