Tales from University of Windsor students’ first Cleanup!
WWF-Canada Campus Clubs exist to support WWF’s conservation work and raise public awareness about the environmental challenges Canadians face together. We’re so excited to welcome University of Windsor to the Campus Club community this fall; they’ve already got their feet wet and their hands dirty with the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup! Dilani Pieris, a 3rd year Business Administration student, is president of the Windsor club and recaps their cleanup for us here.
The Detroit River and the Riverside area are local to our campus. It is a beautiful area for residents to go for a walk or run, enjoy a family day having a picnic, and sometimes it is the main attraction in Windsor with the many festivals and concerts that are hosted there.
WWF at Windsor was extremely excited to participate in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup at Windsor’s Riverside along the Detroit River! This event was a two-day event that helped to raise awareness for the newly ratified club.
On Saturday September 28th at 11:00AM we had 10 members at the Riverside covering the picnic areas, the trail, and the fisherman’s area. The fisherman’s area was the most notable area to be cleaned with all the surprised we found in the first 15 minutes of being in the area. Fishing lines, hooks, food and drink containers were laying everywhere from the smallest cracks to out in the open. We were able to collect all of the fishing lines from the area as that is a hazard for wildlife – mainly the seagulls in the area if they ever got caught in it.
The following day, despite the rainy weather conditions, we had 8 members show up! This day we focused on the parking lots and the areas surrounding them. It was inevitable that cigarettes were the main pieces of garbage and it is safe to say that nearly collected a bag of cigarettes in total from the whole weekend!
Hard work, dedicate, and teamwork led our team to a successful event. The local residents of Windsor graciously thanked us and appreciated all that we were doing. In total, WWF Windsor was able to collect 6 bags of garbage and 4 bags of recyclable items. We hope to continue with local cleanups on campus and at the Windsor Riverside!
The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, presented by Loblaw Companies Limited and a joint conservation initiative of Vancouver Aquarium and WWF, takes place in September annually. Learn more at ShorelineCleanup.ca.
WWF’s Schools for a Living Planet connects educators and students of all ages to WWF’s conservation work. Join the S4LP community and learn how you can inspire your classrooms and classmates to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
