Volunteers invited to July 19 shoreline clean-up in Kincardine

Trash and litter are harmful to the environment, humans and animals, alike. With the arrival of summer weather and vacationers, coastal areas of Lake Huron will be busy, with potentially detrimental effects.

The mission of the Lake Huron Coastal Centre is to protect and promote a healthy coastal eco-system.

To that end, in partnership with Huron Bruce Nature, Kincardine Environmental Action Network (KEAN), the Kincardine Lions, and local businesses, and with the support of the Municipality of Kincardine, the coastal centre is hosting a volunteer shoreline clean-up at Station Beach, Kincardine, Saturday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to Noon.

The lead organizer is Meredith Watson, stewardship program co-ordinator at the coastal centre. She brings her passion for plastic-pollution prevention, long-term environmental monitoring, and community and volunteer engagement to her role.

Most clean-up materials will be provided, such as buckets, grabber sticks and work gloves. Volunteers are invited to bring their own gloves and bucket, a re-usable water container, and to wear appropriate clothing.

After registration and a short information session, helpers will work in small teams to remove litter. Every item is recorded on a special tally card and at the end of the event, the trash is weighed. All data is submitted to the Ocean Wise Shoreline Clean-up.

Earlier this spring, a highly successful clean-up of the Goderich shoreline had nearly 150 volunteers remove 270 pounds of garbage.

The hosts - the coastal centre, Huron Bruce Nature and KEAN - are responsible for clean-up materials, promotion and co-ordinating the waste pick-up. The Kincardine Lions will prepare and serve a free barbecue lunch for the volunteers.

Pre-registration is not required but preferred. To register, visit www.lakehuron.ca/beachcleanup.

To learn more about shoreline clean-ups and other programs and events, visit the coastal centre’s website at www.lakehuron.ca.



Barb Stuart (left), Richard Emmerton and Joan Stadelmann volunteer at the clean-up at Station Beach, Kincardine, in 2019; photo by Christine Roberts