A Chatham-Kent resident is inviting others to help her clean up one of the municipality's rivers.
Sally Joyce is organizing the Volunteer Sydenham River Cleanup this weekend in Wallaceburg.
Volunteers can canoe or kayak to collect garbage from the Sydenham River's edge near the Baseline Bridge and the lagoon. Participants are also invited to take part by walking along the river's edge collecting litter.
Born and raised in the area and an avid outdoors person, Joyce said that she always makes a point to pick up litter while she's walking, hiking or kayaking.
She said that the large amount of garbage that she's seen while outdoors is what inspired her to organize the initiative.
"There's a lot of garbage...Sometimes people find it "fun" to watch things be projected off the bridge. Some of the littering is deliberate and some of it is accidental I'm sure," she said. "The plastic, I really want to get it out of natural areas because it's very dangerous and lethal to creatures."
According to Joyce, the gathering will be COVID-19 safe and she is requesting that anyone who's taking part wear a mask and maintain social distancing with people who is not in their household.
If needed, Joyce said she will take the recycling and garbage that is collected and said that the Municipality is offering to let her bring it to the transfer station in Wallaceburg free of charge.
"We have such beautiful water trails in Wallaceburg...I want to keep them beautiful and I want more people to come aware of them," she said. "I think ecotourism is a great way that Chatham-Kent can get ourselves back on the map yet again."
Joyce said she hopes to plan similar gatherings in the future and hopes the Sydenham River Cleanup inspires others to consider picking up garbage they may come across.
"Pre-COVID and a few years back there were often shoreline cleanup events and various things happening," she said. "To me, they ought to be a regular event where you can simply go online and find where the next one is if you feel like helping."
The clean-up takes place on October 3 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and will happen rain or shine. Joyce said that volunteers are welcome to stay for as long or as little of time as they like and the meeting place will be at 225 Wallace Street, near the Wallaceburg Public Boat Ramp. A Facebook page has also been created for the event.
Joyce said that she's encouraging everyone to help out in whatever capacity they can.
"Even if you can't physically help a lot with the direct cleanup, if you want to come and take photos, share it online or just be there for moral support, that's great," she said. "It's all about everyone and about the resources that we can all share and become aware of how to steward them better."