TALK: COMMOTION IN THE OCEAN

Steve Lowe, a well-known environmentalist who was involved with the Old Low Light Heritage Centre in its early days, carrying out ecology projects, will talk about how the marine environment has changed over time and some of the issues that are having a negative impact on our coastline and marine life.

Explaining the connections between heritage and the environment, he will reflect on the big fishing fleets of the 1930s and 40s and how their activity pales into insignificance when compared with the scale of practices today. He will also include how fishermen are taking part in trials to explore ways of lessening negative impacts on the seabed. However, his over-riding message is that we all have a part to play.

Steve, who lives in North Tyneside, has spent a large part of his working life in nature conservation in the voluntary sector, mostly with wildlife trusts, and the government. He is now freelance but is kept busy with ongoing involvement, including as a government appointed member of the Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and chair of ERIC (Environmental Records Information Centre, North East), which he helped to set up.

He also works at the restored Pele Tower in Cresswell, in an animal rescue charity shop and does regular beach cleans.