While “Let’s Make the World a Better Place” is the slogan for a new volunteer-run environmental group in Peterborough, the story of the group’s founding is proof that caring for the planet has benefits extending beyond the environment.
Aptly named, Clean Up Peterborough comprises a group of city and county residents who are passionate about environmental stewardship and want to keep the trails, parks, and streets litter-free all year round.
“I launched it with the goal to connect with other businesses and people that really care,” says Steve Paul, the founder and organizer of Clean Up Peterborough.
It’s just a lucky coincidence that the group’s first community clean-up is happening during Earth Month. On Monday (April 15) at 11 a.m., volunteers — including local businesses and organizations like Siemens, the Peterborough Humane Society, and Manitoulin Transport — will meet at the TransCanada Trail Parking Lot at 1100 Technology Drive for the public clean-up.
The ambitious goal is to clean the entire stretch of Technology Drive between Keene Road and Ashburnham Drive, the parking lot, the Lang-Hastings Trail section between Technology Drive and Lansdowne Street, and along the trail south of Technology. Those looking to get involved can email cleanuppeterborough@gmail.com to register by Friday, April 12.
“The more people we have to get involved, the quicker it will go, and we’ll be able to give back even more,” Steve says. “We want to use it as a launch point to get the word out and hopefully get some momentum and organize some other clean-ups.”
A resident of Peterborough since he was young, Steve has been a long-time active community member when it comes to environmental initiatives in the region. He has previously volunteered with Ontario Turtle Conservation, Kawartha Wildlife Centre, and Kawartha Land Trust, and is currently a board member for the Peterborough Field Naturalists.
Though Clean Up Peterborough is a new group, the roots of it began with Steve’s diagnoses of anxiety, depression, atypical anorexia, and adult combined ADHD. While learning to navigate these diagnoses, he discovered the healing powers of the outdoors and has used nature to “reground” himself.
“I’m learning how to restructure my life to better support my needs, and a lot of what I’ve been focusing on is being out in nature more and finding out ways that I can make a difference,” Steve says.
On his journey to reconnect with nature, daily walks along the Lang-Hastings Trail near his home have become a welcome relief for Steve. Since the end of last May, he has only taken five mornings off from walking at least a piece of the trail every morning.
“I’ve always felt at peace being outside and being out with my camera and my binoculars — I’m a birdwatcher, so it’s nice to get out and see what birds are in the area,” he says, noting that the daily walks allow him to meet others doing the same. “I found that I was able to connect with people out biking or jogging who maybe are not taking time to really see what’s around them.”
Steve found that sharing the story of having come within 100 feet of a female moose along the trail last July was engaging for his listeners and the participants he would lead during walks for the Peterborough Field Naturalists.
Since the story was of interest to many who showed surprise at such wildlife being so close to the city, he took it as an opportunity to express the need to take care of the land — and not just for our sake.
“The area that I walk every day is part of one of the eight provincially significant wetlands that we are blessed with in and around the city of Peterborough and I take pride in that,” says Steve. “People engage in my mental health journey, but I figured there’s a bigger purpose here and I decided to take that into the realm of having a clean environment and appreciating nature.”
While on the regular walks and becoming more and more grateful for his time spent outdoors, Steve observed something other than wildlife.
“I ended up coming to Technology Drive every day and thought there was lots of garbage around,” he says. “Every once in a while, someone from the city would come clean up, but then it would get dirty again. I wanted to do something.”
As a Lang-Hastings Trail steward, Steve now monitors the local section between Keene Road and Technology Drive. One day in December, he alone collected five bags of garbage out from alongside of the trail.
That, combined with how he felt to be immersed in nature while talking to people he met on his walks, encouraged him to go further in his stewardship of the land. Already familiar with Clean Up Barrie, he decided to bring a similar initiative to Peterborough.
“I’m trying to share a message about the benefits of getting out in nature on mental health and combine it with the whole garbage initiative as well,” he says. “It’s about respecting what we have and giving back.”
Beyond the first community clean-up, Clean Up Peterborough is already well into planning the second, the “Ashburnham Little Lake Clean-Up” to take place on Earth Day. Meeting at 10 a.m. at the Rogers Cove parking lot or the Beavermead Park parking lot on Monday, April 22nd, volunteers will be split into smaller groups the groups to tidy the area from Rogers Cove to the soccer fields at Beavermead Park.
Though the organization hasn’t even had their first clean-up yet, Steve is already looking several steps ahead. One major goal is to create “clean up kits” which would include bags, gloves, hand sanitizers, and other items for community members to pick up at library, schools, and municipal offices across the region to encourage them to host their own clean-ups.
“Giving them the some additional supplies will support them on their journey to do a clean-up in an area that’s important to them,” Steve says. “Hopefully we can even track the data and create a visual element to inspire even more people to get out and work on new areas.”
Clean Up Peterborough is already thinking about applying for grants, shoreline clean-ups, and connecting with the City to create systems for ensuring safety during clean-ups.
“I’m hoping that, together, Clean Up Peterborough and municipalities in the city and county can work together to spread education and help influence people to try to get involved to make a difference,” says Steve.
To contact about donating supplies for the clean-up kits or to register for either clean-up, email cleanuppeterborough@gmail.com. For more information on the Earth Day event as details become available, join the Clean Up Peterborough Facebook group.
