Beach and Shoreline-cleanups — With Our Own Two Hands

May 23, 2024

Bill Marshall, AP, Chair of the National Environment Committee of CanBoat

You’ve probably been to a beach or shoreline and seen some trash there. It’s a sad reality these days. While efforts are underway to reduce the production of plastics and promote recycling or dealing with litter bugs, the only way we must clean up the messes we find is with our own two hands.

There are now thousands of beach/shoreline cleanups every year. There’s bound to be one near you sometime this boating season. You can also help organize one through some of the resource links below.

Although it seems an unpleasant task, getting together with your boating colleagues feels good and gives you a sense of accomplishment as the Kelowna Yacht Club members can attest. They held their clean up on April 13 on Okanagan Lake, BC. Brenda Cortés, Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator reported that more than 40 people came out to help – and celebrate afterwards. With a little teamwork and some family helpers the job gets done – with our own two hands.

My own group has enough divers in the membership that we do beyond-the-shoreline cleanups under popular docks and floats. There are many more divers getting involved in that task as well — https://cleanerlakes.com/

Will it make a difference? YES! Boaters and wildlife will thank you for returning the marine environment to what it should be. You can see it, and you can help it with your own two hands.

Join or lead a shoreline cleanup here

In Nova Scotia you can contact any Canadian Power and Sail group, marinas, yacht clubs, and Scotian Shores that helps organize cleanups  https://www.scotianshores.com/ or visit https://ocean.org/pollution-plastics/shoreline-cleanup/ for more information.