A UNIVERSITY student will walk over 400 miles along the South Coast to engage science professionals and local communities - and she's starting in Poole.

Exeter University student Kathryn Bullough, 21, will embark on her challenge on behalf of the charity Plover Rovers, which is dedicated to improving ocean literacy and empowering coastal communities

Kathryn will be walking with four others, and will set off on July 10 from Sandbanks beach.

Kathryn aims to engage local communities with marine and coastal conservation, and to document the difficulties of making science accessible and useable to communities on the ground where "conservation should be happening."

She said: "Conservation really starts from the ground up, so talking to and engaging local communities so they can understand and use the vast quantities of science that is being produced is key to achieving positive environmental changes.

"These coastal communities are often also the ones whose livelihoods depend on the sea, so developing a more sustainable relationship with the habitats around them is essential not only for the coastline, but also the people that live there."

The walk is part of a nationwide programme to meet with local residents, researchers, artists and anyone who loves the coast.

Kathryn added: "Although in recent years awareness of our impact on the world’s oceans and coastlines has increased through the use of social media and documentaries, all too often valuable science is published that is just not accessible to the local coastal communities where conservation should be most rigorous."

Kathryn and the Plover Rovers intend to finish their trek in London one month later.

To support the Plover Rovers, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/walking-the-english-coast-path