COVID-19 shouldn’t be a reason to stop cleaning up junk left by thoughtless litter bugs along Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Belcarra shorelines.
At least that’s the message of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup which is trying to galvanize groups to resume litter pick ups across the country after a four-month hiatus due to COVID-19 concerns.
According to the Shoreline Cleanup, a conservation partnership of Ocean Wise and WWF-Canada, as much as 84,000 kilograms of litter is polluting Canadian shorelines.
The annual project to clean up Canadian coastlines has traditionally been popular in the Tri-Cities, with everyone from divers to school and streamkeeper groups taking part.
However, in March, volunteers were asked to cancel or postpone their cleanups to ensure volunteer safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, the Shoreline Cleanup is back up and running and asking for volunteers to help clean Canada’s shorelines. But cleanups will look a little different because of COVID-19 safety precautions — they will now be done solo or by small groups and new resources are available to help with planning, including checklists and reminders on where to look for public-health information.
The program is also hoping to reach another milestone by the end of the year: one million participants.
And the goal doesn’t seem unrealistic, according to the Shoreline Cleanup, which needs just over 350 volunteers to lend a hand each week in every province and territory.
“COVID-19 is still a threat, but nature still needs us, now more than ever. Volunteers can help recover the litter that has been left behind before it makes its way into our waters,” the Shoreline Clean up states in a press release.
Last year was the biggest year in the program’s 26-year history, all thanks to the amazing volunteers.
Register your family, solo or small group cleanup by visiting www.shorelinecleanup.ca.
