Two hundred volunteers travelled to the McNabs Island in Halifax Harbour for our 27th annual Beach Cleanup.
Volunteers wrapped up Oceans Week and Environment Week by scouring the
island for ocean debris – collecting 400 bags of garbage and recyclables – which is in addition to the 100 bags collected on Earth Day in April.

In total, volunteers have collected 13,500 bags of garbage and recyclables from the beaches of this provincial park and national  historic site since 1991. The McNabs and Lawlor Islands Provincial Park cleanup is the longest-running and largest cleanup in the Maritimes!

Marine debris including rope, half of a small boat, fishing gear, marine flares, buoys, and about 50 lobster traps were picked up. And divers hauled up broken bottles and old cables from under Garrison Pier. Lego pieces, a plastic bowling ball, a plastic rabbit, several
dolls with missing body parts, parts of a toy fire truck and a baby rattle were among the toy box items discovered on the beaches this year. To add to that list was an aquarium. Also found was a complete make-up kit bag!

The bulk of the items collected were plastics – plastic sheeting and containers, and pieces of Styrofoam. Plastic tampon applicators from Halifax?s sewage system and Tim Horton?s coffee cups continue to litter the beaches.

Thanks to students from Ecole Secondaire du Sommet, pathfinders, staff from McInnes Cooper and CBCL, along with many families and groups of
friends, who gave up their day to pick up garbage that littered the island beaches.

Thanks to McInnes Cooper, Waterfront Development, Halifax Water, RBC
and Ecology Action Centre for supporting the volunteers; Clean Nova Scotia for providing garbage bags; Source Atlantic for providing gloves; Murphy?s Cable Wharf and A & M Sea Charters for transporting volunteers; Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources staff for getting the garbage to the main wharf and A&M Sea Charters and
Waterfront Development for hauling the garbage back to Eastern Passage
where it was picked up by city trucks for final disposal or recycling.

The Friends of McNabs Island Society is a volunteer-driven registered
charity dedicated to preserving and protecting McNabs and Lawlor
Islands Provincial Park and Fort McNab National Historic Site. Since 1990, the Friends of McNabs have improved the trails and park facilities, organized community beach cleanups and offered guided tours to island visitors – making McNabs Island a welcoming park for
everyone.

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Source: Media Release