On World Ocean Day in 2023, we went along to the World Ocean’s Day Beach Clean Up, organised by The 2 Minute Foundation as part of the Ocean Festival held in Bude and locations across the world.

We were so impressed with the concept of cleaning up our planet 2 minutes at a time, that we went along to meet CEO, Nicky Green, in Croyde, North Devon.

Nicky was appointed as CEO in 2022, taking over from Founder, Martin Dorey, and continues to take its followers on a journey to help clean up the planet together – 2 minutes at a time.

Our meeting took place on the beach at the very beautiful Croyde Bay and involved, yes, you’ve guessed it, a beach clean.

Born from a Hashtag

It seemed only fitting to hold our meeting during a beach clean, given that The 2 Minute Foundation began more than a decade ago with a simple hashtag: #2MinuteBeachClean.

As Instagram and Twitter grew in popularity, the idea was simple yet powerful: spend just two minutes picking up litter, snap a photo on your phone, upload it, and tag it with the hashtag. What started as a small campaign quickly snowballed into a social media movement. Today, that single hashtag has been used over 200,000 times.

Looking out across the now-pristine sand, you might think there’s nothing left to pick up – but a closer look tells a different story. Microplastics, or nurdles, are tiny fragments of plastic that have broken down over time. Hundreds, even thousands, of these tiny beads hide in the sand, a reminder that there’s always more work to do.

We spent an hour strolling along the beach, chatting as we went, and picking up litter along the way. By the end, our collection of plastic debris was substantial – much of it destined for the ocean if left behind.

These tiny plastics, or microplastics, are often mistaken for food by fish, seabirds, and other marine creatures. Once ingested, they can work their way up the food chain, eventually reaching humans and reminding us of the far-reaching impact of even the smallest pieces of litter.

Nicky has since moved on to pastures new, but The 2 Minute Foundation continues its journey. We’ll be returning in the coming months to see how the foundation’s mission is evolving and what the next chapter holds.

#2minutelitterpick

The Two Minute Foundation began with the ocean, but their mission quickly extended inland.

All waterways eventually lead to the sea, and there was a growing need to tackle litter before it reached drains and rivers. In fact, 80% of the litter collected on beaches originates from inland sources.

By removing harmful litter from natural habitats and inspiring action through the #2MinuteLitterPick campaign, the foundation has helped shift attitudes across the UK, encouraging more people to take a stand against litter and plastic pollution.

What came next?

The 2 Minute Foundation achieved charity status in 2020 and were on a journey as environmental educators but wanted to create a unique offering to environmental learning.

The 2 Minute Beach School provides environmental teaching right on the beach.

Teaching all things coastal from the tides, geology, and the intrinsic link between plastic and climate change, the sessions are delivered by qualified teachers.

The 2 Minute Foundation supports social and emotional wellbeing and development, providing planet positive actions to help combat anxiety and feeling of helplessness. Children benefit physically and mentally from the non-classroom based environment and time in ‘Blue’ space.

#2minutesofpositivity

We know that getting outdoors and doing something planet positive is fantastic for our well-being. The 2 Minute Foundation’s, #2minutesofpositivity campaign is all around taking 2 minutes for yourself, as well as supporting the planet. Reading a few pages of your favourite book, meditating, whatever brings you that little boost of positivity.

Follow this link to find out more about The 2 Minute Foundation and how you can help

Connect with the 2 Minute Foundation on social media for regular updates.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2minutehq

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2minutehq/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/2minuteHQ

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One of these is the Making Space for Sand (MS4S) project, part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme (FCRIP) funded by Defra. The project aims to find better ways of living with coastal change—encouraging a natural, ecosystem-based approach to managing our shores.

Cornwall’s Ever-Changing Sand Dunes

Cornwall’s sandy dune systems are a striking contrast to the rugged cliffs that dominate much of the county’s coastline. Unlike cliffs, dunes are always shifting—never truly “finished.” The sea can wash parts of them away while also bringing fresh sand to build them up again. At the same time, the wind constantly changes direction and strength, moving sand in unpredictable ways.

Although they cover only about 2% of Cornwall, sand dunes are incredibly important. They act as natural sea defences, helping to absorb the power of waves and protect inland areas from flooding. They are also rich habitats for wildlife, home to rare plants, insects, and birds, as well as being places of cultural history and recreation.

Sharing the Story of the Dunes

To help raise awareness, The 2 Minute Foundation, with support from Making Space for Sand, has produced a series of short films about Cornwall’s dunes. These films explore:

• How dunes are formed
• Why they matter for coastal protection and biodiversity
• The role they play in tackling climate change

With stunning visuals and expert insights, the series highlights the urgent need to restore and protect these fragile ecosystems. Each episode is a reminder that dunes are living landscapes—constantly shaped by the elements, but vulnerable to human impact.

👉 You can watch the full series below.

Making Space for Sand

The 2 Minute Foundation

CoastSnap: Science Powered by People

At the heart of MS4S is CoastSnap, a global community science project. CoastSnap began in 2017 at the University of New South Wales in Australia and has since spread across five continents. The idea is simple: use repeat photographs, taken by the public, to track how coastlines change over time.

Think about it—every day, thousands of people take photos of the beach on their smartphones. CoastSnap turns those everyday snaps into valuable scientific data.

How It Works

As part of MS4S, 23 CoastSnap stations have been installed at key dune beaches around Cornwall. Each station includes:

• A fixed camera cradle for smartphones
• An easy-to-follow instruction sign

Visitors simply place their phone in the cradle, take a photo, and upload it. These photos are then processed and added to a growing image library.

Why It Matters

The photos collected reveal both long-term changes—like dune retreat or advance—and short-term impacts from storm events. By comparing thousands of images, scientists at South West Coastal Monitoring (SWCM) and other partners can track patterns, create storm impact visualisations, and better understand coastal erosion.

But this isn’t just science for scientists. Each person who takes part becomes part of a global network, helping to build resilience and understanding of our ever-changing coastline.

Looking Ahead

Projects like MS4S and CoastSnap show how community action and innovation can come together to tackle climate change. By working with nature, and each other, we can prepare for the challenges ahead—while helping to protect the places we love most.

Take action today:

Snap a photo at your nearest CoastSnap station and join the global community tracking coastlines.

Watch the dune films and learn how to protect these vital ecosystems: Making Space for Sand | The 2 Minute Foundation

By working together, we can ensure Cornwall’s coastlines remain vibrant, resilient, and inspiring for generations to come.

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Describing it as “one of the most comprehensive and strategic projects in the history of Turkish forestry,” Minister Yumaklı said the initiative will cover 7 million hectares across 14 provinces, directly or indirectly benefiting around 7 million people.

Climate Crisis and the Need for Resilience

Minister Yumaklı stressed the growing urgency of the climate crisis, highlighting wildfires as a global threat with serious social, economic, ecological, and strategic impacts. “This highlights the importance of international collaboration, information sharing and experience exchange,” he said.

Türkiye has emerged as a regional leader in wildfire response, with heavy investment in AI-based decision systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and public awareness campaigns. The new forestry project expands this leadership by focusing not just on fire prevention but also on building long-term forest resilience.

Key Project Components

• Climate-adapted tree species will be introduced, supported by new genetic labs and biobanks.
• Forest schools will be established to educate young people on environmental stewardship.
• A new digital radio communication system will be rolled out to ensure uninterrupted emergency response across all 14 target provinces.
• Support packages will benefit 16,500 households affected by recent earthquakes, with an emphasis on micro-enterprise funding for women to boost local economic participation.

Fast and Equipped Fire Response

Yumaklı highlighted Türkiye’s rapid advancements in wildfire intervention. Average response time has dropped from 40 minutes to just 11 minutes over the past two decades.

The country now fields its largest-ever aerial firefighting fleet, consisting of:

• 27 firefighting planes
• 105 helicopters
• 14 UAVs
• Access to 4,796 fire pools and reservoirs

In addition, the OTAĞ aircraft, designed for in-field coordination, has been fully integrated into Türkiye’s operational fire management system.

On the ground, 25,000 personnel, 1,786 fire trucks, and 2,742 initial response vehicles will be on duty for the 2025 fire season.

International Collaboration and Future Events

The ministry confirmed that European Forest Week will be hosted in Istanbul from October 20–24, 2025. Following the celebration, Türkiye will also host an international event focused on wildfire preparedness and innovative forest technologies.

Forestry Director General Bekir Karacabey praised the collaboration with the World Bank, noting its value in shaping more effective, internationally-informed forest strategies. “Diverse perspectives on fire management will help us build stronger, more resilient forests for the future,” he said.

With its blend of technology, education, climate science, and community support, the new initiative marks a bold step in Türkiye’s commitment to sustainable forestry and disaster preparedness.

Source: Daily Sabah

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These sinkholes, which vary in size, are now threatening critical agricultural activities and creeping closer to residential areas. The latest figures reveal that more than 2,600 sinkholes have formed, primarily due to ongoing drought and the uncontrolled extraction of underground water.

The most affected districts—Cihanbeyli, Yunak, Kulu, Sarayönü, and Kadınhanı—are known for their high grain production, making the situation particularly concerning for the country’s food supply. As sinkholes advance toward more critical locations, including densely populated regions, energy investment areas, and zones of intense agricultural activity, the risk to both livelihoods and infrastructure is increasing.

The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and the Sinkhole Application Research Center at Konya Technical University are closely monitoring the situation and working to implement preventive measures. Experts warn that while sinkholes are a natural occurrence, human activities such as excessive groundwater extraction have contributed significantly to their rise. Without immediate intervention to manage water resources sustainably, the impact on the region’s agriculture and infrastructure could be devastating.

Source: euronews/Daily Sabah

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While most people are searching for the sun, however, news coverage of extreme weather conditions and wildfires has made us more aware of the consequences of extreme heat, such as intense rainfall, flooding or wildfires.

Southern Türkiye has experienced massive wildfires over the last two summers and, as a result, the country is running awareness campaigns and taking action to prevent wildfires, particularly those that are man-made.

Preventing forest fires in Muğla

In Muğla, which is one of the regions of Türkiye most prone to forest fires, the Metropolitan Municipality distributed brochures containing information about forest fires at bus stations, airports and ports to domestic and foreign tourists arriving in Muğla by air, land and sea.

Let’s Not Cause a Fire Disaster

The brochure includes the following message:

Dear guests; Welcome to Muğla, one of the heavenly corners of the world with its nature, sea, historical and cultural structure. We wish you a holiday that you will never forget, where all your expectations are met, everything you dream of comes true. More than 60 percent of the surface area of ​​our province consists of forest areas. This causes our province to be one of the regions where the risk of forest fires is very high in the summer months. Unfortunately, more than 90 percent of forest fires are man-made. Let’s be careful during the holiday so that we do not unintentionally cause a fire disaster. In this way, nature can continue to respond to the needs of future generations.

Things to be aware of

The brochure also includes details of things to be aware of that are relevant to everyone.

Although there are many causes of forest fires; ignorance, negligence, accident, carelessness and intent, a very large proportion are caused by human beings. For this reason, you should be very careful and aware of the risks, especially in hot summer months.

112 is now the only number for emergency in our country. 

If you see a fire, the emergency number 112 should be called immediately and the address should be stated as clearly as possible. Meteorological notifications made on television, radio and the internet should be followed, and you should be more careful and alert during the critical days and hours specified in these notifications.

It is strictly forbidden to enter the forest areas where entry is prohibited. Unnecessary fires should not be lit in the predetermined campsites, and the camp area should not be left before the fire is completely extinguished. The same precautions should be taken into account in agricultural areas such as olive groves and areas covered with maquis vegetation (heath, bush). A fire that will start here will spread very quickly and spread to forest areas. Inspections in the forests will be carried out and those who violate the ban will be penalized.

Garbage, glass bottles, cigarette butts, any other waste should never be thrown out of a moving vehicle as these can cause, what can quickly turn into, big fires.

The measures we take to prevent fire in our homes may save a whole forest from burning.

A fire that starts in a house close to a forest area can be the trigger of a forest fire if it cannot be extinguished in time.

If the electrical installations in your homes are old, they should be renewed, and residual current relays should be installed in fuse boxes.

Our chimneys should be cleaned at regular intervals. Soot accumulated in the chimney can easily ignite the forested areas with the effect of the wind.

Dry fuels such as pine ash and leaves accumulated in the roof gutters should be cleaned. These can ignite easily, causing a roof fire.

Each house should have at least one 6 kg fire extinguisher.

Weeds around our homes should be cleaned at regular intervals.

Mobile Fire Stations

Muğla Metropolitan Municipality has established mobile stations in Bodrum, Fethiye, Milas and Seydikemer districts for early intervention in fires that may occur throughout the summer.

The pioneer mobile station is in Bodrum Marina and will be able to immediately respond to vehicle accidents and possible vehicle fires in the city center, where there is heavy population and traffic, especially in the summer months.

In addition, mobile stations were established in Seydikemer Kadı, Fethiye Karaçulha Hali and Milas Koru Mahallesi. Mobile station teams will work between 11:00 and 19:00, which is the time when fire incidents are most common, and will quickly respond to fires.

Teams from the Directorate of Forestry Operations in Muğla’s Marmaris district, where more than 5 thousand hectares of forest area were destroyed in large forest fires in the last two years, distributed brochures to drivers at the district entrances and explained fire prevention measures.

Ministry sets 10-minute target for fire response

Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı has announced an ambitious target of 10 minutes for this year’s fire response time.

He highlighted the progress made, stating that the fire response time, which stood at 40 minutes in the past, is currently an impressive two minutes notification time, with a response time of 11 minutes.

According to the United Nations Environment Program, the world’s average temperature is predicted to rise by 6 degrees by 2100, with a 30 percent decrease in summer precipitation. The key to preventing this lies in protecting and expanding forest resources.

Highlighting the vulnerability of the country’s forests, Yumaklı reminds us that 60 percent of the country’s forests face first and second-degree endangerment.

Sources: https://www.gercekfethiye.com/turizm-merkezlerine-yangin-uyarisi/59759/

https://www.gercekfethiye.com/orman-mudurlugu-arac-suruculerini-yangina-karsi-uyardi/59783/

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ministry-sets-10-minute-target-for-fire-response-184218

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