Mosaic Forest Management and Community Partners to Mark Earth Day with Cleanup Events
Nanaimo, BC — Community volunteers and partners will join Mosaic Forest Management in marking the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day with a series of cleanup events on Mosaic and adjacent forest lands across Vancouver Island.
The Earth Day 2022 theme is ‘Invest In Our Planet’, and that’s what hardworking volunteers will do on April 23 when they join local cleanup efforts targeting the problem of illegal dumping.
“Illegal dumping on Mosaic lands significantly impacts forest health and our decisions around developing recreational opportunities on our private forest lands,” said Mosaic Director of Sustainability, Molly Hudson. “We’re grateful to the many volunteers who show their support for clean outdoor spaces on Earth Day and every day.”
Even though most visitors value their access to the forests and respect the environment, illegal dumping continues to be a significant problem. It costs Mosaic close to $100,000 every year to recover everything from illegally dumped cars to mattresses, money that could be better spent on expanding recreational activities on our private land. Mosaic has committed to reinvesting any savings in illegal dumping costs in 2022 compared to 2021 into community environmental programs.
“Each year, Earth Day cleanup efforts grow as more people get involved to combat the problem of illegal garbage dumping in our forests,” says Stephanie Valdal with the Comox Valley Regional District. “This mobilization is key, as cleanup at the local level has a cumulative effect and makes a big difference.”
One of the best ways to deter illegal dumping is to keep areas clean. You can help by joining an Earth Day cleanup event near you, including these organized events:
Campbell River Cleanup – In partnership with Rotary, Comox Valley Regional District and James Barth
Meet at 9:00 am at the junction of Duncan Bay Main and Elk Main or at 10:00 am at the Campbell River Regional District OfficeShawnigan Cleanup – In partnership with Rotary and Shawnigan Eco Club
Meet at 10:00 am in Dougan Park (Shawnigan Community Centre)Ladysmith Cleanup – In partnership with the Ladysmith Sportsmen Club
Meet at 9:00 am at the Bush Creek HatcheryNanaimo Cleanup – In partnership with the Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club
Meet at 10:00 am at the Doumont Road public parking areaPort Alberni Cleanup – In partnership with the KNK Ventures
Meet at 9:00 am at 5700 Shoemaker Bay Road (Sproat Yard, by the Firehall)Or do your own cleanup for one hour in a place of your choice
“The annual Earth Day garbage cleanup event promotes pride in our environment and is an excellent opportunity to give back while enjoying the outdoors,” says James Barth of Stop Comox Strathcona Illegal Dumping.
You can also help stop illegal dumping by reporting what you see to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy’s Report all Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline at 1-877-952-RAPP (7277).
For information on organizing a cleanup of illegal dumping on Mosaic forest lands, please visit www.mosaicforests.com/access#dumping.
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About Mosaic Forest Management Corp.
Mosaic Forest Management Corporation is in the business of sustainable forest stewardship, managing private timberlands and Crown forest tenures in Coastal British Columbia for more than a century. Mosaic employs several thousand people directly and indirectly, and is strongly committed to achieving positive economic, social and sustainability outcomes from the working forest. For more information, visit MosaicForests.com.
Media Inquiries
Mosaic Forest Management
Karin Doherty, Director, Government Relations & Communications
Media@MosaicForests.com