19 AUGUST 2009 - A small group of people will set off on a 350km trek from Karamea to Franz Josef on September 1, 2009. Others will join them for sections of the journey, which will include 16 community events staggered over the 24 days and nights and a range of activities.

The 'A Day at the Beach festival' will run from September 1 to 24, along the West Coast, celebrating the environment and encouraging positive action to combat climate change.

This is comprised of beach clean ups, tree plantings, a public lecture series, live music circuit, short films and awards in West Coast communities along the way.

Festival co-director, Louis Brown said participants at the 'days at the beach' will plant at least 4000 native trees, and remove at least 10 tonnes of waste from the coastline, and the length of the walk is significant.

"The 350km represents the 350 parts of atmospheric carbon per million that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for humans," he says.

It's a journey Mr Brown has taken before. In 2006 he walked solo from Farewell Spit to Tauranga Bay, near Westport. Mr Brown was awarded the Adventure Philosophy Gore-Tex Good for Life Scholarship.

He hopes this year's event will result in positive change. "Thousands of seedlings growing into trees for years to come, the beaches being cleaner and people having positive experiences out-of-doors. A regenerated and regenerating coast that local communities are taking ownership over."

The event has sponsorship from Development West Coast, Keep New Zealand Beautiful, and the local branches of Department of Conservation and Westpac. It is strongly supported by West Coast schools, communities and organisations.

Westpac New Zealand is coming to the party by helping clean up the beaches. "This fits in so well with our sustainability campaign," says Mark Hardman, Westpac's area manager for the Tasman region. "Westpac staff have made a commitment to clean up 300 beaches this year, and so far we've managed 168, with a further 76 committed to before the end of September. So we'll be delighted to help with A Day at the Beach."