Spring cleanup events offer volunteers multiple ways to give back this April and May

Tashi Farmilo

Several community organizations and municipalities across the region are calling on volunteers this spring to help clear accumulated winter litter from streets, parks, trails, and waterways before it causes lasting damage to the local environment, with events running from mid-April through the end of May.

The stakes are worth understanding. Litter left on the ground through the spring melt travels further and becomes harder to recover as water levels rise, with road salt, microplastics, and other pollutants washing into storm drains and eventually into the Ottawa River. Plastics break down into microparticles that can enter the food chain, and birds and small mammals emerging from their winter habitats can mistake debris for food or become entangled in it. Every bag collected this spring is waste that won't spend decades cycling through the local ecosystem.

The Association des résidents du Plateau is running its annual Grand Ménage from April 18 to May 3, in partnership with the City of Gatineau. Volunteers sign up for a specific area on an interactive map and clean it at their own pace over the two-and-a-half-week window. Cleanup kits can be picked up at the Donalda-Charron Library at 255, rue de Bruxelles on April 18 from 10 am - 1 pm and April 19 from 11 am - 1 pm. Registration closes April 26 at www.residentsduplateau.com/activites/environnement/le-grand-menage/ 

The Municipality of Chelsea is inviting residents to take part in its annual Earth Day community cleanup on April 25 and 26. Participants can clean any area they choose, including parks, green spaces, parking lots, roadsides, ditches, trails, or their own property. Bags for garbage, recycling, and organics, along with a sorting guide, will be available at drop-off points across the municipality, including Hollow Glen Park, De la Paix Park, Juniper Park, Belle-Terre Park, McNally Park, Radapaw Park, Farm Point Park, Chelsea Creek Park, Southridge Park, Town Hall, Hendrick Farm, and several intersections along the Voie Verte Chelsea at Ramsay, Old Sawmill, Kirk's Ferry, and Gleneagle. Filled bags are returned to the same drop-off points. Participants should bring their own gloves and tools. More information is available at chelsea.ca

On April 26, Legion Branch #33 at 59, rue Bancroft is holding a spring cleanup from 10 am - 1 pm, clearing winter debris from around the building and its grounds. Bring a broom and work gloves, no registration needed. More information is available at www.facebook.com/AylmerLegion33