School kids come clean
This week I had the pleasure of being ‘wow-ed’ by grade three and four students from a Toronto elementary school who enthusiastically donned gloves and picked up an array of trash along the city’s Don River. Their desire to protect our environment, and understanding of the problems posed by shoreline litter, were inspiring.
“A lot of people litter. They just don’t think,” says Zoe, one of the 45 students at Jackman Ave. public school who took part in the shoreline cleanup. “They walk along the river and eat a granola bar and because there isn’t a garbage can, they throw it down.” Another student, Ben, added: “It’s bad because litter affects the water and the animals that live in and near it.”
Students at Jackman Ave. school pick up litter along the Don River.
In May, about 200 schools in B.C. and Ontario, along with scout and guide groups, will take part in the annual spring educational program of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, a joint conservation initiative between WWF and the Vancouver Aquarium and presented by Loblaw Companies Limited.
Susan Debreceni of the Vancouver Aquarium holds up one bag of litter that students collected along the Don River in Toronto.
“It’s an important event because shoreline litter impacts all our water systems and wildlife that rely on them, ” says Susan Debreceni, who works for the Vancouver Aquarium as the volunteer engagement co-ordinator for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.
Great eco ambassadors: Gillian Archibald, a teacher at Jackman Ave. school, says this is the second time her class has taken part in the cleanup. “They are all so pumped about it.” Students have also written to the environment minister and participate in the school’s eco club as well as WWF’s annual CN Tower climb, which raises money for our conservation work.
Teacher Gillian Archibald lends a hand at the Don River cleanup.
“Clean water is one thing no one can live without and yet we take it for granted,” says Gillian. “This is a great opportunity for kids to see the human impact on our waterways and the environment. Hopefully, they will go back to school and talk to their friends and other students about it.”
A good haul: The 45 students cleaned up an impressive 58 kilos of litter along the Don River. The trash included styrofoam, plastic bags, rusted pieces of metal, cigarette packaging and butts, as well as disgarded clothing, an old yoga mat and plastic utensils and food wrappers.
A student holds up two of the more than 1,000 pieces of litter collected.
“A lot of shoreline species eat styrofoam and plastic and have a false sense of being full and then actually starve,” says Susan of the Vancouver Aquarium. “These types of litter are a big problem because they break down into smaller pieces but stay in the environment for such a long time.”
Here is great a CityTV news story on Jackman Ave. public school’s cleanup effort along the Don River!
How you can help: You can sign up for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup that takes place across Canada this September. Be a site coordinator, or volunteer at a cleanup in your neighbourhood. You can also encourage your friends and family to get involved.