Vancouver Island beaches are a little cleaner thanks to the efforts of staff at Coastal Community Credit Union and the Georgia Strait Alliance.
Volunteers rolled up their sleeves last month and removed thousands of pieces discarded litter and debris from beaches in Nanaimo, Parksville, Courtenay, Campbell River, Victoria and Chemainus.
Garbage removed from the beaches ranged from plastic bags, cigarette butts and glass bottles, to shotgun shells, building material and a propane tank.
“It is amazing to be part of such a worthwhile initiative that has far-reaching consequences for beach-users, our environment and all our communities,” said Rachael Robinson, of Coastal Community Credit Union. “Not only are we cleaning up garbage left on our shores – and having it properly recycled or disposed of – we are also providing statistics on all of the litter collected which helps scientists better understand what the problems are and how these change over time.”