Post-secondary students collected more than 160 pounds of trash at Del Crary Park in Peterborough during the third annual Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup on Saturday.
Sixty-one volunteers, including Fleming College and Trent University students, staff and community members, did an extensive cleanup of the downtown park.
The post-secondary institutions teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund Canada’s Living Planet @ Campus for the cleanup, which is a national conservation program
According to Fleming College, Saturday’s cleanup efforts gathered:
- 161.5 lbs. of trash
- 2,960 cigarette butts
- 278 pieces of plastic
- 249 food wrappers
- 187 pieces of paper
“Pollution is a growing concern, and when it collects in our local parks and directly affects our wildlife populations, we all have an obligation to make a difference,” stated Fleming College president Maureen Adamson.
“We are very proud of this initiative, and of our staff and students, and all who participated and made their contribution to our community.”
The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup — recognized as one of the largest direct-action conservation programs in Canada — is an initiative that encourages the community to take action towards keeping shorelines clean, increasing awareness of proper waste diversion and the ways it affects water and aquatic habitats.