How you can kelp the environment with the trundl app

You’ve read that right – we weren’t mucking about! In this article, we want to share the incredible way in which kelp is being used by charity partner, the Sussex Wildlife Trust, to combat our carbon  footprint, and how your contributions to our trundl-ometer make this a walk for the environment.

You might know this already, but kelp is proven to have an incredible impact on the carbon cycle by acting as a carbon conveyor, instead of being a carbon store.

So how does the kelp forest work?

Through photosynthesis, the kelp absorbs carbon dioxide from the environment which is incorporated into the plant’s tissue. When it drifts to the shoreline, the kelp is either consumed by animals (incorporating the carbon into the animal’s tissues) or is transferred to sediments that are washed back out to sea. If this tasty morsel should be nibbled by a marine herbivore such as a mollusc or crab, the carbon will be incorporated into the shells of these creatures. If the remains of the kelp (or anyone who fancied it for lunch) should sink down to the seabed, the carbon is then sequestered, meaning isolated and hidden away.

It’s thought that some coastal habitats have the potential to sequester 20 x more carbon per area than land forests. Isn’t that just incredible?

There’s lots of other benefits to having kelp in our coastal ecosystems. From creating safe spawning grounds for the UK fish population to protecting sea beds from storm surges and powerful waves, the more kelp we have, the more we’re able to protect the delicate marine wildlife that call our waters home.

Take a walk for the environment with trundl

If you’d like to help this amazing initiative, why not take part in our community walk for the Sussex Wildlife Trust between 27th September – 9th October? Remember, every kilometre recorded on the trundl app counts, whether it’s a quick trip to the shops or a hike up a mountain. You can trundl your way and in your own time. And if you leave the car behind for some trips, you can turn your trip into a walk for the environment by recording the CO2 saving that you make.

As always, thank you for all your support. We couldn’t do this without our incredible community that is growing day by day..

Want to take a look at the trundl app for yourself? Download it today from your app store and get 21 days to try us out.