Ruda Holiday Park continues support for nature with two new Marine Mammal Medics

Ruda Holiday Park in Croyde has recently seen two team members qualify as Marine Mammal Medics with British Divers Marine Life Rescue, the leading frontline marine mammal response organisation.

Their important new qualifications mean that Ella de la Cour and Sam Cawthorne join the 3-strong Ruda Ranger team in being fully trained to rescue any whale, dolphin or porpoise strandings or injured seals on Croyde Beach or in the local area.

Left to right: Ella de la Cour, Holly Robertson, and Sam Cawthrone at Croyde Beach.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) is a nationwide charity involved in rescuing marine wildlife in all seasons, and each year trains over 1,000 volunteer Marine Mammal Medics. Since 1988, BDMLR has been involved in the rescue of marine wildlife after every major disaster, including the Braer shipwreck in Shetland, the Sea Empress grounding in Milford Haven, and the Napoli shipwreck in Dorset. Volunteers are provided with the knowledge, skills and expertise to enable them to respond to callouts and act on behalf of an animal’s best interests.

Holly Robertson, Beach Manager at Ruda Holiday Park, said: “To train and qualify as a Marine Mammal Medic is hugely rewarding and we’re delighted Ella and Sam are now fully qualified and are able to join the rest of the team in our rescue efforts. Having been a medic for the past couple of years, I have been involved in some amazing efforts, including releasing seven seals back into the wild recently. Taking care of our parks, people, and planet is a priority for us at Parkdean Resorts, and this is a great way to strengthen our commitment to the local environment and wildlife.”

Ruda Holiday Park is no stranger to protecting the local environment in Croyde. Teams from the park carry out regular beach cleans alongside volunteers from the local community to ensure it remains safe for swimmers, surfers and walkers, as well as the diverse flora and fauna which inhabit the beach and nearby sand dunes.

Last year, together with local volunteers and guests from the holiday park, Holly and her team carried out more than 100 beach cleans, collecting almost 500 body boards, 120 tents, 100 chairs, over 40 windbreaks, and countless broken beach toys, shoes, goggles and much more. The team are also due to take part in the Marine Conservation Society's annual Great British Beach Clean, which takes place all across the UK from Friday 14th - Sunday 24th September.

Thanks to this ongoing beach clean work, Ruda has recently been awarded a prestigious Blue Flag by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards are aimed at improving the quality of England’s coastline and promoting the country’s best beaches, and this year Croyde Beach has met the high standards required to be awarded both the Blue Flag and Seaside Award.

In addition to this beach clean work, Holly and the team recently led a new conservation initiative at Croyde Bay, launched in collaboration with Natural England, where 100 people from North Devon joined forces with the team and local environmental charities to restore the sand dunes behind the beach. Home to a number of rare plants and animals, the dunes are a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a vital part of the ecology of the coastal habitat, but have become worn down over time by walkers and bodyboarders. The team planted grass and installed fencing to help build back the sand and restore the lost marram grass while protecting the area, allowing the sand dunes to grow over a five-year period.

Parkdean Resorts has also recently released its first ever ESG report, outlining the progress the business is making on its plans to care for its parks, people, and planet by delivering 25 wide-ranging commitments by 2025.