I’m from a small seaside town in Ireland. Every summer people from around Ireland would come down for their summer holiday, make everywhere too loud & busy, annoy all the locals and then leave the place a mess. Now that I have moved to a new country and a new city, it’s important to me to not turn into one of those types of people. So, I decided to volunteer at a beach clean up to help keep Canada’s shoreline clean. The beach is where I spent so much of my time at home, and so much of my Canadian summer’s, so I felt it was the best place to start volunteering.
What did I learn: Something I haven’t noticed since moving here is a lot of cigarette butts on the ground. At the beach clean up, because I was actively seeking rubbish out, I realized that cigarette butts are everywhere. I filled a whole container full from just a small section of a beach. I think everyone should volunteer at some form of clean up at least once so that they can see the actual impact that we all have on the environment.
Another thing I learned is that there’s something peaceful about spending a Saturday morning making an impact in your local community, no matter how big or small that impact is. It makes the pint of Guinness later on taste even sweeter.
Who did I volunteer with?
Surfrider Foundation
Surfrider Foundation Vancouver is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the ocean, beaches, and waves, for all people, through a powerful activist network. They are an entirely volunteer-run team of everyday citizens who host monthly events to educate and engage the Vancouver community in protecting our urban coastline.
You can find out more about volunteering here: https://vancouver.surfrider.org/volunteer
