Level up your Shoreline Cleanup

Did you know it would take more than 33 years to walk along all of Canada’s coastlines? That SHORE is a long time! At 243,000 km long, Canada’s shores have 3 oceans that meet around them. That’s why it’s so important to keep things clean for all the animals and plant life that call our shorelines home. For today’s Eco-Activity, we challenge you to get out there for a litter pick-up day!

Gather a crew and pick your favourite shoreline to clean up. Don’t live near a lake or ocean? You can clean up around a river, stream, or pond—anywhere with water!

Here’s what you’ll need for your clean-up adventure:

Make sure to always ask for help with sharp objects or if you see something you’re not so sure about. Safety first!

While you’re out there, here are some fun ways to make things interesting:

Trash and Tunes

For this game, you’ll want to make small teams that each have an adult. Each team chooses their own area for the game. Pick your favorite song, press play, and see who collects the most trash by the time the music stops! You can keep going for as many rounds as you’d like.

Speed Sorting

You’ve collected a bunch of litter and have been a good help to the waterways around you. While you’re at it, might as well recycle what you can instead of sending all that litter to the landfill! How about a game of speed sorting to finish the day? You can set categories like plastics, papers, metals, electronics, and trash. See who can sort the most items in 1 minute!

Trash Tally

Use this tally chart to keep track of what you find. Once you finish your cleanup, count how many points each person has. The person with the most points at the end wins!

Trash Bin Map

Take some time to explore the area you’ll be cleaning up. How many garbage bins do you see? Are there any bins for recycling? Are they easy to access? You might notice some connections between the bins and the litter you find laying around!