Grade 11 and 12 students from Bayside Secondary School joined Quinte Conservation in a clean-up of the Moira River.
The clean-up was planned for the fall when the river’s water is lower and “easier to navigate.”
Students who volunteered put their canoeing and safety certifications to the test, launching from Victoria Harbour and paddling to a short stretch of the river pulling out garbage.
“River and shoreline clean-up days are great opportunities to get our youth and community out and involved in helping to clean up our waterways. It’s such a great way for youth to give back to their community, their environment, and all the animals, fish, and wildlife that depend on it,” said Quinte Conservation CAO Brad McNevin in a release.
Many garbage bags were filled throughout the day.
Student volunteers had filled a pallet with garbage and debris they pulled from the water by the end of the day.
“Unfortunately, it is not the responsibility of any one specific agency to make sure our waterways stay clean, it is all of our responsibility, and it is my hope that community cleanups like this one not only inspire our youth to be great caretakers of our natural resources but that it also inspires the surrounding community to do the same,” McNevin said.
