After having talked about the 100 Thousand Poets for Change with our director at Fraser Riverkeeper, and having just gotten the notice for the sign-up for our annual beach restoration from the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, we've decided to go ahead and work with the big poet/arts gathering at least for part of the event and do a beach cleanup in the afternoon from about 1:00 - 2:30 on September 24th. This beach cleanup is our 4th annual cleanup, which always happens during the week of BC Rivers Day.
We've asked to be the site coordinator for False Creek East near Science World. Why this particular beach? Well, Doug Chapman, our Riverkeeper, has done testing in the area and found the river sediment to contain not only elevated, but over BC's own law's limits, for PAHs, PCBs, and heavy metals, which are dangerous to people and the marine environment. He calls the water in False Creek some of the dirtiest water in Canada, if not the world. This, incidentally, is the same area where the Olympic Village was built that housed athletes and visitors during the 2010 Winter Olympics. There had been a greening of the area, which worked well on land, but nobody bothered with the water! The beach itself is a rocky terrain, and the Great Canadian Shoreline site noted that many medical/personal hygiene items are found in the area. (Yes, we provide gloves, and volunteers must sign waivers.) This beach needs us to clean it up. I thought it would be a great way to start the event, around 1:00. It's also advisable to bring water in a filled water container.
A group of students from Farleigh Dickinson University will be joining us, so look for their big tent over near the children's park/monkey bars near Science World. Paid parking is nearby, or you can get off the skytrain at Main St. and walk toward the inlet.
After lunch are other activities at the Carnegie Center at the corner of Hastings and Main, Vancouver.
We've asked to be the site coordinator for False Creek East near Science World. Why this particular beach? Well, Doug Chapman, our Riverkeeper, has done testing in the area and found the river sediment to contain not only elevated, but over BC's own law's limits, for PAHs, PCBs, and heavy metals, which are dangerous to people and the marine environment. He calls the water in False Creek some of the dirtiest water in Canada, if not the world. This, incidentally, is the same area where the Olympic Village was built that housed athletes and visitors during the 2010 Winter Olympics. There had been a greening of the area, which worked well on land, but nobody bothered with the water! The beach itself is a rocky terrain, and the Great Canadian Shoreline site noted that many medical/personal hygiene items are found in the area. (Yes, we provide gloves, and volunteers must sign waivers.) This beach needs us to clean it up. I thought it would be a great way to start the event, around 1:00. It's also advisable to bring water in a filled water container.
A group of students from Farleigh Dickinson University will be joining us, so look for their big tent over near the children's park/monkey bars near Science World. Paid parking is nearby, or you can get off the skytrain at Main St. and walk toward the inlet.
After lunch are other activities at the Carnegie Center at the corner of Hastings and Main, Vancouver.
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