Picton Rotary Club members collected trash at Delhi park in Picton last weekend as part of the annual Rotary International Service Project- the Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup initiative.

A total of 10 Picton Rotarians participated in the clean up.

“Rotary collected 10 bags of trash at Delhi and several planks of wood that had made their way into the creek,” said Barb Proctor, Picton Rotary President Elect “As well as a few mismatched socks, at least one complete change of clothing and a back pack to go with it. No cash and gratefully, very few cigarette butts.”

Picton Rotary member Rob Leek. (Desirée Decoste/Gazette staff)

The Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup initiative is an effort that has grown from a Rotary District 7090 service project covering a small portion of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie to a multi-District event to focus Rotarian’s attention to the stewardship of all five of the Great Lakes plus the streams and waterways feeding them.  

Rotary’s goal is to make this activity the single largest cleanup event ever planned and coincide with Earth Day 2022 on the Great Lakes Watershed. The Great Lakes contains almost 20 per cent of the world’s fresh water and is arguably the largest source of fresh water on the planet.  It borders eight states and two provinces and has 9,577 miles (15,323 kilometers) of shoreline.  So far 15 Districts, 100’s of Clubs, and thousands of Rotary volunteers agreed to participate.

(Desirée Decoste/Gazette staff)

Rotary/Rotaract Objectives:

• Improve the aesthetics of the Great Lakes by removing garbage from public areas and roadsides.
• Reduce the amount of plastic and litter on our lands and in our waterways.
• Remove waste that could potentially be ingested by pets and wildlife.
• Provide an opportunity for public participation and partnerships in collaborative activities.
• Educate the public about the effects of littering, the importance of recycling, and instill a sense of stewardship.
• Collect and report cleanup numbers and metrics to track the impacts of all the cleanups.

For more information please visit https://rotary7090.org/50043/Page/Show?ClassCode=StoryDetails&Slug=mobilizing-the-troops-what-are-you-doing-on-earth-day-2022

(Desirée Decoste/Gazette staff)