Environment
Environmental Efforts Span Coast to Coast
By
Jun 2, 2008, 21:42

(NC)-When it comes to going green, Canadians are truly committed to the cause.

Last September, the Vancouver Aquarium and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation hosted one of the largest coastal cleanups in the world: the annual TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.

More than 50,000 volunteers - individuals, families, corporate teams, sports clubs, and even a few dogs - scoured nearly 1,800 kilometres of the country's shorelines to make our lakes, rivers and waterways cleaner, safer and more liveable for people, plants and wildlife.

The amount of garbage recovered was staggering. When pooled together, these environmentally conscious volunteers collected a whopping 87,000 kilograms of shoreline litter. Interesting finds included a waterlogged motorcycle, a hotel safe and a wheelchair.

But the top spot went to the lowly cigarette butt, with over 270,000 removed from Canadian shorelines, the equivalent of 10,000 packages of cigarettes.

"Shoreline cleanups are more than just removing trash," says Eric Solomon, Vancouver Aquarium's vice president of conservation, research and education. "Rather, they're examples of communities working together to create solutions that ensure our shorelines and waterways are kept clean.

The TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is the perfect opportunity for families, schools, community groups and concerned individuals to get involved in a hands-on conservation program that has an immediate and long-lasting impact."

For your chance to be part of an activity that has a real, measurable effect on the environment, sign up by August 31 for the 15th annual TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup being held September 20-28 at hundreds of locations coast to coast.

To volunteer for a cleanup in your community including becoming a site coordinator, or to learn more about public drop-in locations, you can find out more at www.vanaqua.org/cleanup.

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