Strange things can be found on the banks of the mighty Fraser River and the shores of the Pacific Ocean where the morning mist lingers in the marshes and secretive creatures’ flit about in the rushes and burrows.
For instance, last fall’s cleanup crew with the B.C. Wildlife Federation, found two messages in bottles, among with the usual haul of junk and debris.
Inside one bottle was a wedding photo, with the image of the bride or groom crossed out, along with some spices.
And inside another bottle, was a message from a mom of a Chilliwack student, asking the finder to contact her if the bottle was found.
But mostly, the shoreline cleanup, which ran from September to December, retrieved bits of old boats and docks, old barrels, discarded fishing gear, plastic, Styrofoam, and old tires that could have been used during the recent snowstorm.
During last fall’s effort, the Fraser River tidal marsh cleanup crew started in the south arm marshes of the Fraser River estuary, and included shorelines of Kirkland, Barber, Gunn, Deas, and Westham islands, along with several unnamed islands, with the cleanup finishing at Sturgeon Banks.
“Everybody uses the area, but very few people stop and clean it up,” said Neil Fletcher, director of conservation and stewardship.
He said it’s the type of work for which there’s no end, but the habitat is critical, so it’s important to keep it clean, and to remove the micro plastics before they degrade further and to remove objects that are prohibiting plant growth.
Picking up debris from wilderness areas means bushwacking every day through areas that people usually don’t go through and pushing through dense vegetation, marshy land and climbing over slippery logs and dealing with hornets’ nests and keeping an eye out for coyotes.
It’s not easy work, especially when the weather doesn’t cooperate, but this year, instead of venturing out in the fall, a new crew of four, will start the cleanup in March, when there’s not as much vegetation, which should make it easier to get around and spot debris.
In a previous year, the crew found a huge, Styrofoam mascot bunny, along with dozens of medical masks, as the pandemic wound down.
Within three months, the crew collected more than 12 tonnes of junk, almost reaching the 15 tonnes of debris that was forecast to be collected by 2025.
The cleanup is a collaboration between the B.C. Wildlife Federation, Tsawwassen First Nation, and the South Coast Land Management Program. Nature Trust B.C. and Ducks Unlimited helped with site access while the cities of Delta and Richmond also helped in the campaign.
The federation is hiring a new crew for this year’s cleanup.
The work was also sped up thanks to Mad Props Marine managers Jeremy and Kaileb who provided equipment to recover debris in areas that are only accessible by boat.
And Two Guys Disposal supplied bins for debris storage and managed the sorting and disposal of the garbage once the bins were filled.
