Stand up for our cherished waterways
Posted 09-11-2015 at 07:26 AM by DavidRaonic
Did you know that no matter where you live in Canada, you are connected to water?
Whether it's an ocean, river, lake or watershed, there's a waterway impacting your life. In fact, 71 per cent of our planet is covered with it – and Canada is home to one-fifth of the world's fresh water. Thousands of interconnected lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands nourish and sustain us — so in 2015 and beyond, this gives us a perfect reason to focus on the health of such a valued natural resource.
Why not participate in The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup? By getting litter out of our aquatic ecosystems, this action is a valuable way to make a difference year round. It is the country's largest direct-action conservation initiative, organized by the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre and WWF-Canada, and presented by Loblaw Companies Limited.
“Litter and debris have become a critical issue in all of Canada's waterways, from lakes and rivers to every ocean coastline, so the need for action has never been more urgent,” says Kate Le Souef, manager of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. “This year, we're expanding our program and encouraging everyone to 'adopt' a shoreline. This means registering a particular location that connects to water in your community and cleaning it up with the turn of each season.”
The impact of trash on our waterways is plentiful, such as: the pygmy sperm whale that washed up in Halifax Harbour last fall with plastic lodged in its stomach; plastics, including micro-plastics that threaten fish and birds in the Great Lakes; marine debris entangling sea lions on the B.C. coast; and a plastic debris-filled salmon caught by a B.C. fisher, to name only a few.
“The problem of shoreline litter and its impact on our aquatic environments is one that only continues to grow,” Le Souef points out. “Human activity is causing the problem, so it's up to each of us to help.”
Last year the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup mobilized more than 54,000 Canadians at over 1,800 cleanup sites from coast to coast. Volunteers picked up almost 140,000 kilograms of debris — enough trash to fill 70 dump trucks.
“We've picked up an astounding amount of litter since we first began cleaning shorelines in 1994, over 1.4 million kilograms, but there's always more to do,” adds Le Souef.
Whether it's an ocean, river, lake or watershed, there's a waterway impacting your life. In fact, 71 per cent of our planet is covered with it – and Canada is home to one-fifth of the world's fresh water. Thousands of interconnected lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands nourish and sustain us — so in 2015 and beyond, this gives us a perfect reason to focus on the health of such a valued natural resource.
Why not participate in The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup? By getting litter out of our aquatic ecosystems, this action is a valuable way to make a difference year round. It is the country's largest direct-action conservation initiative, organized by the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre and WWF-Canada, and presented by Loblaw Companies Limited.
“Litter and debris have become a critical issue in all of Canada's waterways, from lakes and rivers to every ocean coastline, so the need for action has never been more urgent,” says Kate Le Souef, manager of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. “This year, we're expanding our program and encouraging everyone to 'adopt' a shoreline. This means registering a particular location that connects to water in your community and cleaning it up with the turn of each season.”
The impact of trash on our waterways is plentiful, such as: the pygmy sperm whale that washed up in Halifax Harbour last fall with plastic lodged in its stomach; plastics, including micro-plastics that threaten fish and birds in the Great Lakes; marine debris entangling sea lions on the B.C. coast; and a plastic debris-filled salmon caught by a B.C. fisher, to name only a few.
“The problem of shoreline litter and its impact on our aquatic environments is one that only continues to grow,” Le Souef points out. “Human activity is causing the problem, so it's up to each of us to help.”
Last year the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup mobilized more than 54,000 Canadians at over 1,800 cleanup sites from coast to coast. Volunteers picked up almost 140,000 kilograms of debris — enough trash to fill 70 dump trucks.
“We've picked up an astounding amount of litter since we first began cleaning shorelines in 1994, over 1.4 million kilograms, but there's always more to do,” adds Le Souef.
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