Last week I heard through my friend Adam Kulchyski, that the Stewards of Cootes Watershed was looking for a volunteer photographer. The next clean up was scheduled for Father’s Day, but knowing that my teenage and older kids sleep in, I went to the clean up that started at 9am. I met many wonderful people who greatly care for the environment they live in. Many of the volunteers, I think about half, myself included, were first-timers. The volunteers were divided into three groups to clean three different areas around Spencer Creek in Dundas. Prior to the clean-up, there was a very brief ceremony when Mieke Ewen of the Rotary Club presented a check to Alan Hansell of Stewards of Cootes Watershed.

Alan Hansell receiving a cheque from Mieke Ewen of the Dundas Rotary Club before a voluntary clean up on Father's Day around Spencer Creek.
Alan Hansell receiving a cheque from Mieke Ewen of the Dundas Rotary Club before a voluntary clean up on Father’s Day around Spencer Creek.

 

I was amazed what was found at the sites just on this clean-up. There were broken glass of course, but also chain link fence, steel fence posts, exhaust pipes, etc. But one big piece that was removed and I did help carry for fifty metres was a I-beam. What it was doing in the middle of the woods or how it got there, no knew for certain, but it is beyond reason what one finds during the clean-ups.

An i-beam found in the woods in Dundas next to Spencer Creek.
An i-beam found in the woods in Dundas next to Spencer Creek.

 

The rest of the images in higher resolution are available in this gallery. They can also be found in lower resolution on Facebook.