The 2Rivers Cleanup continues to evolve.
No longer a group of volunteers yanking strange objects out of the Speed River, the annual event has broadened it horizons.
The 37th annual 2 Rivers Cleanup, formerly known as the Speed River Cleanup, happened Saturday, with roughly 40 volunteers gathering at the Royal City Park gazebo before heading off on various activities.
“For the past few years we’ve been trying to add in different activities,” said organizer Mandy Hiscocks.
“Actually the river itself is getting cleaner, there’s not as much garbage in it as their used to be, Which is really great.
Yes, there were those scouring the banks of the Speed and Eramosa rivers for waste on a gorgeous Saturday morning. But there was also a group of youngsters led by a biologist catching some bugs and water creatures to study and learn about, elderberry bushes being planted beside the walking trail, invasive garlic mustard plants being removed further down the path and pollinator gardens and bee houses being made from reused materials.
“There’s a lot of different ways that you can make the river cleaner: lowering temperatures help make the river cleaner, better canopy and more biodiversity on the river banks all help keep it clean. We wanted to help pand a lot of other things,” Hiscocks said.
“We wanted to help people realize that it’s not just picking up garbage. There’s a lot of things people can do to help keep the rivers clean.”
It also helps to have activities for younger children to participate in and learn from.
“We want to teach them to love the river, not just pick up garbage,” Hiscocks said.
The Saturday morning event was hosted by the Ontario Public Interest Research Group and the Wellington Water Watchers.
