Submitted by Sarah Garcia-Peacock, BPDS Grade 3/4 Teacher
Following a spring Bruce Trail Cleanup, BPDS Grade 3/4 students wrote letters to the Editor recapping their experience and to encourage others to participate in keeping our trails clean. The following is excerpts from those letters.
Dear editor,
On April 21 and 20 me and my class went on a Bruce trail and beach walk/litter pickup. It was fun like always but there was lots of trash. It was a very nice day and I was glad that there was less trash than awhile ago. There was mostly plastic items and random things like the following: plastic bags, Cigarette butts, plastic lids, containers, bottles, and dog poop bags. That part I was not very happy about. But I think if we all try and do at least one good thing a day, we can help make the world a better place.
We took a chart and saw that we are doing a good job at garbage and recycling but we can do better. We should do more community garbage pickups and more recycling.
From Mabel Cameron – 3/4 BPDS.
Dear, Reader
On April 20, the grade 3/4 class was on a litter pickup. We noticed most litter was on the rocks, on the shore and in the bushes. We saw rusted cans from weeks ago, granola bars from this week and last we found food containers.
We went to the Bruce Trail the next day, April 21. We found lots of dog bags and random plastics. On both days, we try our best to even get those small glass, plastic, and bits of metal.
We found lots and lots of cigar butts. Please stop throwing those on the ground!
Most importantly, we have to use earth friendly wrappers and make sure we don’t drop garbage. If we do drop it make sure to pick It up. Thanks! The animals will thank you!
Sincerely, Owen C
Dear Tobermory Press
Most of the litter on the beach in Lion’s Head is plastic bags, metal tubes and stray metal. On the Bruce Trail and side trails, most of the garbage was in the bush. Probably this was so other people can’t find it. I think most of the trash came from people that were not wanting to hold it and take it to the garbage or recycling. I think at least half of it was accidental.
I think the trails should have garbage and recycling cans. Please don’t throw trash on the ground.
From Samuel Carey
Dear editor
We went on a hike we found lots of trash in water/trees. We did it on the 20 and 21 of April. It was really fun with Ms. Preston’s class on the Bruce Trail. We found a lot of cigarette butts, bottles, beer cans, plastic lids and dog poop bags. We should start to put stuff in the recycle bins and garbage cans rather than litter.
From Crue Catley – grade 3
I wanted for you to know that when you go on trails make sure not to throw garbage or recycling in the beautiful forests of the Bruce Peninsula.
Thank you so much for reading this.
-Adalyn Cullen
Dear reader,
Hi! We went on a hike and picked up litter. I want to tell you what we noticed. We didn’t see a lot of litter which is good but we did see some. Avery found a happy birthday Grandma balloon, a mask and some more weird things.
The day before that we went on the Lion’s Head beach and shoreline for a litter pick up. There wasn’t much litter but we saw cool rocks. Our teacher found a skull in a bush by the marina and Ms. Preston brought it home to see what it is. She thinks it is a fox skull.
So, what we are trying to say is you are doing a good job with not littering and try not to litter.
Thank you,
Gabrielle and Avery
Dear editor,
On the beach litter pick up we found a fish skull. There were a lot of plastic on the beach. It was very windy. I saw a balloon in a tree but we could not get it. I was walking in the water in my rubber boots. I think there could still be litter in the water but we could not get it. Most of the school did the litter pick up.
I like helping the earth. One day I hope that there will be no more litter on the beach. I enjoyed the litter pick up. I hope we do it again so we can help the earth.
From, Ruthie
When I was walking on the shoreline, I loved when the little waves would hit my foot. I loved hearing the birds cheeping and chirping. My favourite part of our little hike was when, POOF, the big rock appeared. It had a big split in the middle of it. It looked like a mouth and didn’t have much moss on it either. We took a sit spot there.
I also saw some roots, trees, pinecones, and leaves. I loved all the animal noises. And the view was amazing and high.
I found a lot of plastic in hidden places like under rocks, hidden deep in the sand, in the water and on the trail.
By: Isabella V.
Dear editor,
For the last two days Mrs. Peacock’s 3/4 class has been doing litter pickups along the Lion’s Head beach and shoreline and on the Bruce Trail. The main litter we were getting was cigarette butts, plastic bags or candy wrappers. The things we weren’t allowed to pick up were needles, glass, and anything that could hurt you basically.
The Bruce trail association lent us buckets for litter and some people brought gloves. For the Trail pickup there surprisingly wasn’t much litter! But the caves and forests were beautiful; there was a bunch of moss.
Note for everyone at home don’t leave litter around help clean it all up! Put your garbage in the garbage can and put your recycling in the bin and use your fruit leftovers for compost.
From your friend, Lily Wilson from BPDS
The place we hiked looked so pretty. It was fun climbing over the rocks and looking over the water. There was a snake and it was cool. I heard birds chirping; it was nice. The tree bark felt rough. The forest smelled like swamp. Swamp smells like mushrooms and pine mixed. I really want to go again.
-Jake
