Monarch Point cleanup

Volunteers bash the trash in newly created Reserve

About three dozen volunteers donned work gloves and then spent their Saturday morning picking up trash from the newly created Monarch Point Conservation Reserve. This event was a combined effort of the South Shore Joint Initiative (SSJI) and the South Marysburgh Recreation Committee, and is a continuation of the previous Point Petre trash bash, now extended to include the area east and south of Helmer Road. “The aim of this cleanup is to pick up garbage, but also to give people some information about the south shore and the give them the opportunity to walk around and see how wonderful the south shore really is,” said Cheryl Anderson, vicepresident of the SSJI board. The new Monarch Point Conservation Reserve covers almost 4,000 acres of the south shore and comprises the old Ostrander Point Crown Land Block and the Point Petre Provincial Wildlife Area. Although there is a County-wide springtime trash bash, this cleanup effort is in response to garbage left behind by the summertime users of this area, as well as those irresponsible people who dump household rubbish in this relatively remote and uninhabited area.

(L-R): Eva Kralits and Tom Mason with some of the items they found at Point Petre.

In actual fact, this area is far from uninhabited. It is home to countless birds, reptiles, animals and plants, and garbage can have a detrimental effect on them. Some household garbage is toxic and can leach into the soil. Other garbage can ultimately be hazardous to the small mammals that live here. “I’ve seen mice get stuck in cans and then have died in there, because they couldn’t get out. I’ve found snakes in cans, and ants will use soft drink cans as nesting boxes, attracted by the sugar in them,” said Lori Borthwick. Volunteers picked up all manner of things during the cleanup —a mason jar full of cigarette butts, drink cans, a crushed oil drum, numerous coffee cups, soiled diapers, and deflated helium balloons. “I’ve seen things that I didn’t want to see,” said volunteer Pauline Morissette.

One type of discarded object with an unexpected benefit is the returnable alcohol container. Last year John Lowry started saving up those he found on his nature walks. He collected enough for $1,500 in returns when he took them back for their deposits. He donated the money to Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC), an organization that is purchasing natural land in this area for perpetual conservation. Word soon spread among his fellow Quinte Field Naturalists, and they started collecting discarded alcohol containers as well. So far this year John has collected $2,200 in deposits, which will again be donated to NCC. “This is a way to help keep our natural areas free of litter, and to help conserve it for the future. Birds, wildlife, butterflies, they all need these natural areas, so we have to preserve it,” he said. “It’s sad that we have to come out and pick up garbage, but it’s good to see all these people coming out to help. It’s encouraging to see people take time out of their busy schedule to come and help clean up the environment.”

The SSJI will be presenting The Night of the Monarch at South Marysburgh Town Hall on October 14. It is a dinner and variety show fundraiser, with the meal prepared by Chef Tomas Crossley. For more information, please visit ssji.ca