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A Gore scouts group would like the community to get behind their "Clean up the Mataura River initiative" this weekend.
In order to get their Better World — Antarctica badge, the 1st Gore Scout Group have to do an activity and share information, leader Katherine Welsh said.
The group includes keas, cubs and scouts.
The boys and girls, aged from 5-13, have been learning about the Antarctic environment and the role of science and exploration on "the ice".
Mrs Welsh said through these discussions, she pulled from the children some key learning points, including that plastic in the ocean hurts penguins and their food source.
The Finding Nemo quote "all drains lead to the ocean", helped drive that point home for the children.
"Because Antarctica is largely ‘untouched’ it is a hub for scientific investigation, and the effects of rubbish on the marine ecosystem is being seen there," Mrs Welsh said.
The marine ecosystem was not just about animals that might eat the rubbish, she said, but the balance of the whole food cycle.
Tiny krill were also affected as they ingested microplastics.
Now the children want to act on what they have learned and share their knowledge.
They were doing this with a river clean up on October 30.
Starting at 6pm, the children asked that volunteers bring their own gloves and rubbish bags.
They will meet on the river bank, just below the bridge.
They will be picking up rubbish from the bank, not the water. Those not in Gore were also able to participate, by choosing a nearby body of water to clean around.
The children were asking anyone who participated to share a photo on their Facebook page of their rubbish-clearing work.
"So we can see just how far and wide our mission to protect Antarctica can go," Mrs Welsh said. — APL