Lake Huron Coastal Centre Introduces Beach Clean-up Stations

by Bob Montgomery

The Lake Huron Coastal Centre has introduced Beach Clean-Up stations this year.

Coastal Centre Executive Director Alyssa Bourassa says plastic pollution presents a significant challenge for Lake Huron, affecting its beauty and ecological balance. Every year common single use items find their way into the Lake effecting water quality and putting wildlife at risk of entanglement and ingestion.

To help address the problem, the Coastal Centre has installed five beach clean-up stations that provide everything required for someone to clean up the beach on their own. So now people don't have to wait for the next beach clean-up event to help reduce the pollution in Lake Huron. Supplies are kept in boxes that have educational signage and hand painted native flowers and wildlife on them and their goal is for these stations to encourage ongoing support from communities to help keep the Lake Huron shoreline pristine. Bourassa also makes it clear the Beach Clean-up Stations are not a replacement for the normal beach clean-ups, they'll continue every year, but the Clean-up Stations are there to provide another way people can help reduce the pollution in Lake Huron.

The five Beach Clean-up Stations will be located at Gobles Grove Near Gerry's Fries in Southampton, Station Beach in Kincardine, Lighthouse Beach in Point Clark and Port Elgin Main Beach.

Bourassa says the location of the five stations this year is a pilot project and if they're successful they will be expanded to other locations along the Lake Huron shoreline next year. More information about the Beach Clean-up stations can be found on the Lake Huron Coastal Centre website.

Photos courtesy of Lake Huron Coastal Centre