The rain pouring down on the morning of Sept. 25 didn’t discourage 37 intrepid volunteers of all ages from Project Watershed, the Comox Valley Naturalists and Comox Valley Kayaks.
Despite the deluge, they combed six kilometres of shoreline in Lewis and Simms parks, Airport Park and the beach below St. Joseph’s Hospital, looking for litter that can harm the estuary ecosystem.
Together, they gathered more than 1,200 cigarette filters, 100 recyclable beverage containers, 248 food wrappers and 127 plastic bags that might have ended up in our waterways.
Among the more unusual items were a curling iron, six single shoes of different styles, an inflatable rubber raft and a car transmission.  Seven shopping carts were also fished out of the water.
The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is an annual week-long event that occurs nationwide. Their mission is to promote understanding and education about shoreline litter issues by encouraging Canadians to rehabilitate shoreline areas through cleanups.
Rivers Day is a B.C. initiative that began in 1980 and it always is held the third Sunday in September. This cleanup crew registered with both national events.
Next year, perhaps various teams might clean up the entire estuary shoreline. An organizational meeting is planned during Earth Day in April.
— Project Watershed in http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/comoxvalleyrecord/community/131294129.html