The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup in Queensborough will do double duty this weekend.
This year's South Dyke Road riverfront cleanup will not only help clean up the riverfront, but it will also serve as the launch RiverFest, an art and environmental festival inspired by the Fraser River. Community members are invited to take part in the cleanup, which is being held on Sunday, Sept. 23 from 9: 30 a.m. to noon.
The cleanup is organized by New Westminster Environmental Partners, in partnership with the City of New Westminster and Fraser River Discovery Centre.
Everyone is welcome to attend the family-friendly event that gets underway at the pier at Suzuki Street and South Dyke Road in Queensborough at 9: 30 a.m.
Participants under 19 are welcome but they must attend with their parent or guardian or bring a signed waiver with them that's available on the New Westminster Environmental Partners' website at www.nwep.ca.
Participants in this year's cleanup will be glad to know that many items that were collected in the past but unable to be recycled, are now recyclable.
This includes Styrofoam, which is now accepted at the City of New Westminster recycling depot.
"Cigarette butts, the top cleanup item from throughout Canada, will be sent to TerraCycle, a company that specializes in recycling previously non-recyclable items, such as pens, inkjet cartridges and Tassimo coffee, tea, espresso, milk and hot chocolate T Discs," said Karla Olson, the event's coordinator. "All New Westminster residents are encouraged to check out their website to see how they can ship many of these items to be recycled for free."
The New Westminster Environmental Partners will set up a table on RiverFest on Sept. 29 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., where people can see the data results and photos from the cleanup event.
"In addition to picking up litter, as part of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, this event will include an invasive plant pull of non-toxic plants and a flyer delivery to inform neighbours about the harm of dumping yard waste along the shoreline," Olson said about the cleanup.
Members of New Westminster Environmental Partners, along with staff from the City of New Westminster, began tagging plants targeted for removal last week. Orange paint identifies holly, Lamium, morning glory, purple loosestrife, Scotch broom and English ivy that will be removed during the cleanup.
According to New Westminster Environmen- tal Partners, these plants are considered invasive because they aren't native to this habitat and because of how quickly they grow and multiply. When they take over, they force native plants from their homes by robbing them of their space, sunlight, water and nutrients.
"The invasive plants will encroach on native plants. Eventually they will take over," said Cindy Sale, communication and events coordinator from Fraser River Discovery Centre. "We are going to try and get rid of some of them."
New Westminster Environmental Partners notes that invasive plants change and damage the condition of the natural habitat over time. They're typically introduced to new areas because of the activities of animals and humans.
"On a scout visit of the site, we saw how some people, maybe even with good intentions, have been dumping their yard waste along the shoreline," Olson said. "Not only can this create an imbalance in nutrients being added to the soil, but also seeds and plant parts in the clippings can introduce non-native plants into the habitat."
New Westminster Environmental Partners notes that the Himalayan blackberry is also considered an invasive plant because its dense thicket and thorny stems can be hazardous to humans and animals, and it can outcompete native shrubs along the shoreline with its deep roots. Sale and Jennifer Lukianchuk, the City of New Westminster's environmental coordinator, will don safety equipment and prune off some of the more exposed thorny stems during the cleanup.
"We will be going after them with some clippers and working our way through them," said Sale, an experienced blackberry picker. "It's a bit of a trick. You step on them and pull them back."
RiverFest, which is combining the FraserFest and Artists on the River festivals, will be held on the b at Westminster oardwalk Quay on Friday, Sept. 28 and Saturday, Sept. 29. It will include entertainment, exhibits, interactive activities from conservation organizations and community groups that build upon the river and environmental themes.
B.C. Rivers Day, which is celebrated every September, began in 1980 with a volunteer cleanup.
