Earth Week Beach Clean-up - April 17, 2011
Wow!! We did it again! More debris, more crab floats and more 'interesting treasures'!
135 volunteers turned out: 40 school kids with 9 staff and parents on Thursday to clean up Miners Bay, and 86 other community members 'crewed' 15 or more of our other beaches on Sunday.
Congratulations to all-especially the 10 Beach Captains! And the sun shone! Our total haul was 2,915 pounds or 1322 kilograms. Although materials were all weighed, the category numbers must be considered estimates as much material was co-mingled. The comparative total figures from 2010 were 2,594 lb or1177 kg.
This debris was collected from the same beaches that we cleaned last year with the added haul from Brigs Bay. What a lot wahes up in 12 months!
| MATERIAL | 2011 Lbs/Kgs | 2010 Lbs/Kgs | MATERIAL | 2011 Lbs/Kgs | 2010 Lbs/Kgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastics (& some nylon) | 709 / 321.8 | 737.5 / 335.2 | Chain-ferrous | 82 / 37.2 | 25 / 11.4 |
| Metal-ferrous | 527.5 / 239.3 | 422 / 191.8 | Outboard Motor | 71 / 32.2 | |
| Tires (some buoys with Styrofoam) | 322 / 146.1 | 483 / 291.6 | Lead Acid Battery | 45 /20.4 | |
| Styrofoam/fiberglass | 226 / 102.5 | 263.5 / 119.8 | Metal-Aluminum, Copper | 18.5 / 8.4 | |
| Rope | 175/79.4 | 127 / 57.7 | Fabrics | 12 / 5.4 | 35 / 15.9 |
| Wood | 158/71.7 | 107 / 48.6 | Glass | 11.5 / 5.2 | 28.5 / 13.0 |
| Styrofoam/plastic mixed | 143 / 64.9 | 53 / 24.1 | Fibre | 7 / 3.2 | |
| Wood/metal/fibre/tires | 87 / 39.5 | 36 / 16.4 | Boot & Running Shoes | 4.5 / 2.0 | 3 / 1.4 |
| Firehose | 22 / 10 | Miscellaneous Garbage | 316.5 / 143.6 | 96.5 / 43.9 |
The junk "champion" beach award goes to Horton Bay whose cleaners dragged in 155.5 pounds of metal, among much else. They dredged themselves up from fifth place last year!
| LOCATION | 2011 Lbs/Kgs | 2010 Lbs/Kgs | CAPTAIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horton Bay | 639.5 / 290.3 | 237 / 108 | Barbara McIntyre |
| Kadonaga Bay | 485 / 220.0 | 339.5/154.0 | Marian McLean |
| Edith Point/Campbell Bay | 366 / 166.1 | 528 / 240 | Peter Askin & Al Maxwell |
| Piggott Bay/Gallagher Bay | 303.5 / 138.8 | 478.5 / 201.8 | Kim Harris |
| Bennett Bay | 298 / 135.2 | 329.5 / 149 | Eden Evans |
| Miners Bay | 249 / 112.9 | 150 / 68 | Jess Willows |
| David Cove/Reef Bay/Oyster Bay | 203.5 / 92.5 | 246.5/112.05 | Larry Barker |
| Village Bay | 158.5 / 72.1 | 38 / 17 | Bette Hawes |
| Maude Bay/Lighthouse Pt | 106.5 / 48.5 | 147 / 67 | Sue Miyazaki |
| Brigs Bay | 106 / 48.1 | Jeanine Dodds | |
| TOTALS | 2,915.5 / 1,322 | 2,594 / 1177 |
The most interesting 'treasures' that we caught this year were:
- 222 lb of fish farm piping & 82 lb of heavy chain from Horton Bay
- parts of a boat from Katanaga Bay
- a water barrel and a basket ball from Edith Point/Campbell Bay
- most of a boat, a truck bumper and an umbrella from Piggott Bay
- most of a go-cart from David Cove
- and a pair of newish tennis shoes with a poem attached from Lighthouse Park!
"If I were to soar up into the sky…
"Then would you kindly teach me how to fly?
"Once I reach the moon…
"Does it taste like cheese?"To who (sic) receives these shoes…
" The author who wrote the poem above HATES these shoes with a firey (sic) passion.
"…So I have given her my shoes to throw off a ferry
"… and now they have found their way to you. Treat them well…"
signed
NeeeekThey must have been having fun! The shoes now have a new home.
Our greatest concerns relate to the ever increasing numbers of crab trap floats; there were dozens and they came from most Bays. But, fortunately, the number of tire/styrofoam buoys was down.
Sue & Bette about to scour Village Bay
- Terrill Welch
|
Our special thanks to
- Grant Buday for volunteering to open and man the Recycling Depot.
- Michael Dunn who conducted the 'weigh-in', as he has done since we started these events in 1992.
- Ann Johnston our intrepid recorder who coralled all the facts and figures shown above
- The Capital Regional District for financial help with the expenses for this year's Clean-up.
....and, as always, thanks from all of us to those who 'clean-up' each time they use our beautiful beaches!
Bette Hawes and Sue Everts, gloved and booted, stand ready to do a number on Village Bay in Terrill Welch's photo at the right; for more pictures of "Earth Week" Events, including Beach Clean-up, please visit our Gallery pages
A story about the 2010 Beach Clean Up is archived here

The Recycling Centre Crew - at the Earth Week Beach Clean-up - April 2011











