Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, Spring 2011

By Stephanie Morgan
Communications Intern
Since 2002, volunteers all across Canada have been teaming up every fall to rid their favorite shorelines of litter.  The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is a joint conservation program between the Vancouver Aquarium and WWF.  This year, we’re doubling our efforts by doing some Spring cleaning in B.C. as well!
Not only do these cleanup efforts make our communities look nicer, but they also extend beyond the shorelines to alleviate threats we can’t see every day.  Litter leaches harmful chemicals into our water, is accidentally eaten by wildlife, and entangles aquatic animals such as otters, turtles, and birds.  That just goes to show how connected we are to our planet and resources – what we do at home affects the whole world.
“Rivers are the lifeblood of our planet,” says Tony Maas, Director of WWF’s Freshwater Program.  “Keeping them clean and litter-free is an essential first step to protecting the health of these precious freshwater resources.”  This means that rivers can flow from hundreds of miles inland, all the way to lakes and oceans.  If we don’t remove litter when we can, it is carried far beyond our reach.
Do your part by participating in the cleanup in your area this fall.  It is open to everyone across Canada and takes place anywhere land meets water.  Tell all of your friends and neighbors to start a new cleanup or join an existing one at shorelinecleanup.ca.

Stay tuned for some exciting Spring shoreline cleanup stories from B.C.!