Celebrate Parks Day, Everyday this Summer!

Canada's Parks Day falls on July 16'th this year. First
celebrated in 1990, Parks Day is an opportunity for
individuals to participate in hundreds of unique and
fun events taking place in sites from coast to coast.
Events are organized in national parks, national
historic sites, provincial parks, and territorial
parks, as well as in community and regional parks
across the country.
Increasingly regulated and restricted, the dwindling
islands we like to call parks are more precious than we
could possibly realize. Although having a special day
to honor them is fantastic, there really should be a
year-round awareness to maintain and keep them clean
and garbage free. When we make an effort to keep trails
and waterways clean we see measurable results in a
healthier and safer environment for wildlife and humans
alike to enjoy. Many communities rely on tourism and a
clean pristine park will entice tourists to return and
mention it to others.
Parks and trails with trash bins are less likely to
have litter lying around the grounds. Get in the habit
of always packing a supply of bags to pick up any stray
litter you might find along the way. Rather than
walking by trash and fretting about it ? pick it up and
be proactive! It is surprising how good it begins to
feel when you make a difference.
Eighty percent of the waste found in waterways (
streams, creeks, rivers, swamps, lakes and oceans)
originates from inland sources. Rivers act like a
vortex pulling in debris through air and water currents
and can carry it thousands of miles further along its
path. Cities on or near these waterways have a
responsibility to be even more diligent of pollution as
they are more likely to 'share' with unwilling
populations downstream of them.
Highways and roads are also convenient corridors for
loose garbage to travel upon. Natural wind and breezes
caused by traffic can pull in a vast amount of junk. We
can take action and help to decrease this. Starting in
your own yard, do you see loose garbage along your
street and alley bordering your yard that needs to be
cleaned up? Also, encourage friends, neighbors and
businesses to keep garbage bin lids securely closed to
prevent litter escaping to the wind. When carrying
loads in vehicles, make sure the load is covered so
debris does not fall out along the way. Another pro-
active option to consider is stream and swamp clean up
projects in urban areas. These are often supported by
businesses and cities through the donation of garbage
bags, supplies, media coverage, trash removal and
occasionally, volunteers.
Maybe if there were enough of us continually cleaning
up the areas we inhabit, the whole world would resemble
a park. Happy Parks Day?
Written by Dave and Lillian Brummet based on the
concept of their book, Trash Talk. The book offers
useful solutions for the individual to reduce waste and
better manage resources. A guide for anyone concerned
about their impact on the environment. (http://www/.
sunshinecable.com/~drumit)