September 9th 2023 - South Shore Beach Clean Up

by Dominic Smith

What do an oil drum, a baby’s crib, and a set of tires have in common? All three were found and collected during our annual end-of-summer Beach Clean Up. Thanks to a troop of nearly 40 volunteers, we gathered 1256 pounds of trash on a beautiful September morning, removing countless harmful items from the South Shore’s precious ecosystem.

Although we uncovered a few cases of trash dumping, much of what we gathered appeared to come from people who had chosen to come to the South Shore to enjoy the place — food wrappers, empty bottles, and discarded or lost toys were the most common items found.

Cleanup Crew (Photo: Dawn Ayer)

Volunteers with a trunk load (Photo: Dawn Ayer)

With 650k people visiting Prince Edward County every year and estimates that the permanent population of the region could double by 2050, the pressure on the South Shore will only grow in the years to come.

And that’s why events like the Beach Clean Up are so important. Not only do they keep our wild places clean and pristine for nature to thrive, they also inspire the community to pick up after themselves and get involved in conservation efforts.

To everyone who came and cleaned up, thank you. And to the rest of the community, we’ll see you at the next one!