Hope Spring -ing into Action!

If you see yellow on the horizon, it’s probably Adopt-A-Block’s spring litter clean-up volunteers busy at work. Eight Mission non-profit groups will be participating in large community litter clean-ups in April and May for the remuneration of $250. Benefits of participating in a spring clean-up reach far beyond the financial award. By participating in community litter clean-ups volunteers help to spread awareness, show civic pride and demonstrate environmental responsibility. Volunteer efforts in large community clean-ups help to protect our children and animals from otherwise harmful litter encounters and litter collection adds to the aesthetic appearance of the community. This spring several heavily littered areas in Mission are targeted for clean-ups including Keystone, Tyler, London, Rai Ave., Cedar St. and more. So if you spot someone wearing an Adopt-A-Block yellow vest this spring, make sure you give them a friendly wave or say thank-you to let them know their volunteer litter control effort is appreciated.

Hope from Volunteers Moving Mountains

Adopt-A-Block volunteers are moving mountains, of litter that is. Litter is an on-going environmental problem and sometimes it may seem that for every bag of litter an Adopt-A-Block volunteer collects, there are two waiting for them the next day. It can be disheartening to see litter returned to a route that was just cleaned. And sometimes volunteers may feel that they are the only ones out there cleaning the mess, while many neighbors and community members are putting it there. While it may seem that there is no end in sight to the litter problem, there is a significant amount of work being done by Adopt-A-Block volunteers to greatly reduce it. In a recently 2010 survey, Adopt-A-Block asked their volunteers, “On average how much litter do you collect each month?” 59 Adopt-A-Block volunteers [out of 183 surveyed] reported to collect approximately 57 [114 AAB blue nylon bags] garbage bags of litter each month, totaling 684 garbage bags each year.


The amount of litter and time spent on adopted routes differ from person to person; yet, pulling in the numbers all together makes for a significant amount of litter no longer an eyesore in the community and no longer degrading the environment, such as entering into our waterways and disrupting aquatic habitats.

683 garbage bags of litter, however, seems like a whole lot of trash! While on one hand, this number of bags is impressive to report having been cleaned up by a small number of volunteers — it is on the other hand, a tremendous amount of litter to enter the environment in the first place. Considering that the average household puts out only one bag of garbage on the curb each week, making for 48 bags a year– 683 bags of litter accounts for a large amount of litterbugs in our community. This reveals the need to increase awareness to the problems of litter in the environment and the need for many to practice ecological citizenship. How do we reach the unconverted? It starts with being an example—working from your corner. Adopt-A-block would like to thank all their hard working volunteers for being an example to others in the community—demonstrating that litter is everyone’s responsibility and that we can all ‘pitch-in’ and make a difference towards the health and beauty of our environment.

Typical litter collected by volunteers on their adopted routes. [Picture taken by AAB Coordinator 2008].

Taking Hope to the Streams...

Adopt-A-Block has expanded its litter control program this year to include two stream clean-ups as a part of the society’s annual Fall Litter Clean-Up. While litter is first of all unsightly and unpleasant to find in the environment, it also has negative consequences for animals and aquatic life. Most litter is carried off by wind or rain into nearby waterways, degrading sensitive aquatic habitats by; obstructing waterways, adding bacteria and other toxins into the water and by contributing to the depletion of oxygen aquatic life depend on. To address this environmental concern, two stream clean-ups will be conducted in stream areas spoiled by litter. The summer time up until the end of September is the appropriate time of year to tackle stream-side litter when stream water levels are low. Yet, due to the sensitivity of stream habitats, certain precautions and guidelines must be followed. When you undertake a large-scale cleanup of a stream area, you want to be sure you do more good than harm. For example, you can damage stream habitats by removing all large material from the stream. Only human produced materials will be removed that do not disturb natural materials, such as logs and stumps that provide cover for fish.

Applicants that apply for this year’s fall clean-up will be able to choose between a stream clean-up or a regular street-side clean-up during the event. However, volunteers participating in a stream clean-up will need to be aware of appropriate dress wear for the weather and stream conditions. If waders are available, they should bring them along. Rubber boots and other appropriate foot wear will also be mandatory. Safety is also a concern for stream areas, such as slipping hazards (on wet rocks) and water flow causing persons to lose balance. Nonetheless, Adopt-A-Block feels that by expanding the fall clean-up fundraiser to include stream areas, the society will address the larger negative consequences litter has on the environment.
Applications for the Fall Litter Clean-Up are now being accepted until June 30th and are available on the society’s website. All interested Mission non-profits are welcome to apply. Groups selected to participate in a clean-up will be rewarded $250 for their effort.

Litter in Lane Creek, in the industrial area portion of the stream. Picture taken in February 2010.

Hope for Mission's Big Backyard

The 8th Annual Stave Lake Area Clean-Up is coming up on June 05. The Four Wheel Drive Association of B.C. is looking for volunteers to help contribute to the clean-up of the Burma Rd. area in Mission. Last year, 65 individuals volunteered in the clean-up and throughout the course of the day collected 2,540 kilograms of garbage and a 30 foot bin full of metal scrap from the area. To find out more information about last year’s Stave Lake Clean-up visit: http://news.4wdabc.ca/?m=200906
Those interested in volunteering at this year’s event are asked to contact, Carolann Van de Ligt at (604) 826–5333 or email her at cvdligt@shaw.ca

Unsung Hereos Spread Hope in Litter Control

There are countless volunteers out there in the community making a difference, working their magic silently and unnoticed. From time to time, Adopt-A-Block hears wind of some of these dedicated volunteers and wants to sing a song for them.

Adopt-Block has a song to sing for Ed Hansen who joined the team in January 2010. Ed adopted the stretch on Nelson Ave. downhill from the Mission Golf and Country Club and within two weeks collected 39 bags of garbage from his adopted area. His efforts haven’t stopped there—Ed has gone on to clean several other random rural areas across town. Ed simply tells those who wonder what he is doing collecting litter in areas far from his home residence, that he just doesn’t like seeing the litter and its needs to be cleaned up.

Adopt-A-Block also has a song to sing for Heidi Smith and Howard Noa who volunteered an impromptu clean-up of the wild green space between Fruits & Greens east towards downtown. Several bags of litter were collected and properly disposed from this area. These two volunteers are some of several volunteers asking about getting together an impromptu litter hotspot clean-up team. There are several heavily litter places around town that have not been adopted—and need special attention from time to time. If there are others Adopt-A-Block volunteer willing to participate in such random clean-ups from time to time, please let Adopt-A-Block know and we will connect you to likewise dedicated volunteers.

Adopt-A-Block would also like to sing a melody or two for Cindy Kelly, Margaret Clifton, Jean Kask and Julie Hartland. These ladies will all receive an award from the District of Mission this June for their volunteer service in the community, each with special mention given to their volunteer efforts with Mission Adopt-A-Block.