Every year, thousands of people in Canada come out to take action against aquatic litter and debris. As part of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, participants go out to the shores of rivers, lakes, or streams, and pick up litter that have harmful impacts on the wildlife and environment. Streams and rivers and other bodies of water are constantly under stress due to human activities. We use the waterways to travel, dump waste water in, and it’s also where a lot of litter ends up. The goal of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is to encourage Canadians to rehabilitate shorelines free from litter, as well as to promote understanding and education about shoreline litter issues.
This past September, the entire YMCA Academy participated in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, and cleaned up parts of the Don River shoreline between Pottery Road and Beechwood Drive. In total, they collected over 60 pounds of garbage which they then separated into type and amount. This finding will then be added to the national research database which helps with environmental assessments.
According to Colleen Whelan (Academy Teacher), the most common item collected was plastic bags. As many plastic bags are not biodegradable, they linger in our environment for years and can harm wildlife in many ways. They can be swallowed by marine life, or become tangled around fish as they swim through the water. Plastic bags can also contain toxins that get released in the air and water causing further harm to wildlife. We can reduce the amount of plastic bags we use by using reusable/cloth bags when we go shopping. And any plastic bags you may have at home can be recycled in the City of Toronto. Simply put all plastic bags together in one bag and loosely tie it before putting it in your blue bin.
The YMCA Academy is committed to environmental stewardship, and also participates in activities during Earth Hour, Earth Week, and Jane’s Walk. To see more photos from the YMCA Academy’s Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, check out their Facebook page.
