A major clean up of shorelines in New Brunswick will get underway this weekend.
The Great Fundy Coastal Clean-up will take place in 20 different locations Saturday, including Grand Manan, and Blacks Harbour.
Abigail Pavao with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, says debris like rope and plastic can be very harmful to animals.
“The wildlife on the shores could ingest them or become entangled in the rope or ingest the plastic pieces, and so it’s really important that we get out there and help clean up because they’re not able to do it themselves,” she said.
The clean-up is being hosted by the Nature Trust of New Brunswick, with help from a number of partners, including NCC.
Pavao says they will be tackling Pendleton Island Nature Reserve again this year.
“There is less and less (garbage) as years go by, but with it being a collective beach, it’s still going to accumulate a lot of garbage, so it’s hard to say that we’re making a huge dent in the area, but every effort that we go out there definitely helps,” she said.
“As well, it’s along a beach and is also used for recreation, so keeping that area clean for those who visit it to appreciate the nature and everything is also very important for us.”
Pavao says over the past three years the Nature Conservancy has been involved, they’ve ended up collecting a lot of trash.
“Over the years we’ve found lots of rope, buoys, Styrofoam, and then various pieces of plastic that wash up onto the shore, and so last year we got, I think 50 bags of garbage,” she said.
The Nature Trust says volunteers can expect to find a treasure trove of trash on the beaches and parks, ranging from commonly found items like plastic and glass bottles to more unusual items like deflated sports balls, children’s toys, and even dumped furniture.
Pavao says along with cleaning up the garbage and debris, and making the areas suitable and habitable for animals, they collect data as well.
“We Give it to the Huntsman marine Science Centre, as well as Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up,” she said. She says the data helps them better understand the condition of shorelines across the country.
The clean-up runs from 9 AM to 3 PM at 20 different shorelines across the Fundy Isles. More locations, as well as where to sign up, can be found online.
