Environmental education activities

As part of the Blue Flag programme, Havant Borough Council works in partnership with a number of local organisations to deliver environmental education initiatives.

Bird Aware Solent

Bird Aware Solent is a Partnership helping to raise awareness of protected birds that return to our coastline every winter.

The aim of the Partnership is to maintain the enjoyment of people visiting the coast, whilst giving the birds space to feed and rest.

Bird Aware Solent cover the northern coast of the Isle of Wight and the coastline from Lymington through to West Wittering. Partnership Rangers engage with visitors at community events and all along the coast.

They highlight the variety of species that travel here and help people to understand the impacts of disturbance on the birds.

Leaflets providing information about identifying visiting birds are available to download from the Bird Aware Solent website.

The Final Straw Foundation

The Final Straw Foundation, a local charity, will work with schools and community groups to raise awareness of the issues around plastic pollution on our local shores.

The campaign organises regular beach cleans around the coast of Hayling Island and along the Billy Trail, and works with local businesses to encourage them to reduce the amount of single-use plastic that they use and to try to make their businesses more sustainable.

Find out more about ongoing and upcoming projects on The Final Straw Foundation webpage or follow the charity on Facebook. 

Kitesurfing Armada

The Kitesurfing Armada Festival has been based at Hayling Island since 2013. As an environmentally focused festival, one of the key elements is to encourage and promote environmental issues, particularly on wind energy, recycling and reducing ocean pollution by:

Schools day on the Friday of the festival including a morning session of talks on the environment, sustainability, wind energy and plastic pollution. Children have a packed lunch on the beach with a lunchtime kite surfing demonstration from Lewis Crathern. They have free time in the afternoon to visit the various stalls and charity stands within the main arena and a mass stretch and yoga session to finish the day.

We also encourage:

  • enforcing a 'no single use plastic' rule throughout the Festival including vendors and campers
  • reusable cups for all drinks sold
  • undertaking a beach clean during the event
  • litter picking throughout the event
  • recycling bins and the fat fish

Cycle Hayling

The cycle map of Hayling Island can be found on display at Eastoke and at West Beach. Copies can also be downloaded.

Ecological signage

Havant Borough Council will be installing new signage to highlight some of rare plants that can be found near the beach and which birds and other animals make Hayling their home.