Volunteers clear garbage from Meewasin Valley to mark Earth Day

On Earth Day, dozens of volunteers gathered at the Meewasin Valley on Monday to pick up garbage around the area to kick off an annual cleanup campaign.

Andrea Lafond, the CEO of the Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA), said cleanup from Saskatoon’s community members plays a significant role in the valley’s health and ecosystem.

According to the MVA, 11,000 kilograms of waste and recycling were cleared from the valley by more than 5,000 participants during last year’s campaign.

Lafond reminded visitors to bring reusable containers to the valley when possible, and to take home garbage if bins in the area are full.

“It’s our biggest backyard; we all use it,” she said. “It’s important that we are all stewards of that river valley.”

The Meewasin Valley Authority kicks off its annual cleanup campaign on Earth Day with dozens of volunteers. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

Rachel Sikorski, a cleanup volunteer, spent Monday morning picking up items like shoe insoles, broken bottles and cigarette butts. She also watched volunteers pull a microwave and a hot tub cover out of the river.

“It’s wild that stuff like that ends up in our river valley, and it’s nice to see even just a little bit of it (getting) pulled out,” she said.

Sikorski said the work of just one volunteer can make a big difference.

“It’s more and more important every year as we face a climate crisis,” she said.

The Meewasin Valley has more than 107 kilometres of trails that see over 2 million visits per year. This year’s campaign runs until the end of May, but Lafond welcomes anyone that wants to assist in cleanup to continue throughout the summer.

According to the Meewasin Valley Authority, 11,000 kilograms of waste were cleared from natural areas by volunteers last year. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)