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Conservancy volunteers lend a hand to pick up trash on Earth Day

In two hours, volunteers picked up 50 bags of garbage at Wilson Point Wetland; Event a 'reminder of our consumption habits,' said official

NEWS RELEASE
COUCHICHING CONSERVANCY
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More than 30 volunteers of The Couchiching Conservancy gathered together on Monday, which was Earth Day, to clean up the Wilson Point Wetland Nature Reserve and the surrounding neighbourhood.

In a span of only two hours, these dedicated people picked up 50 bags of garbage, household items and waste.

Wilson Point Wetland is a nine-hectare Nature Reserve near Lake Couchiching in Orillia that was protected in 1996 thanks to Charles Grant and his sisters Sandra and Kerry.

The property is a good example of wooded swamp with mixed coniferous and deciduous species. Nature Reserves like this act as a critical filtration system. The care of this property is made possible thanks to members, supporters and volunteers.

"We are so grateful for the people who step up to protect the Earth, on this day, and every of the year. It was disappointing to see how much garbage we collected in a relatively small area of Orillia," said Joelle Burnie, Engagement Organizer with the Conservancy.

"The volunteers covered three roadways in the neighbourhood. Activities like this are a reminder of our consumption habits, and that no garbage or plastic is truly gone once you throw it out," said Burnie.

"Whether you throw your waste in a garbage bag or on the ground, those materials stay in our environment forever. What we do to the land, we do to ourselves, and reducing our waste is something we all need to work on," Burnie added.

Some of the items picked up included a television, tires, rugs, and dozens of coffee cups and water bottles.

Thank you to the Township of Severn for providing bags and gloves for the activity.

About The Couchiching Conservancy:
The Couchiching Conservancy is one of the leading regional land trusts in Ontario. A non-government, charitable organization, it has helped protect over 13000 acres of important natural habitat in the Lake Couchiching region since 1993.

Wherever possible, the lands are accessible to the public for the responsible enjoyment of nature. Learn more at www.couchichingconserv.ca.
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