They came and they conquered the garbage and cigarette butts littering Armour Hill park in Peterborough.
The Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group (AMSG) is celebrating the successful April 13 spring clean-up of Armour Hill/Ashburnham Memorial Park on Hunter Street East.
“We were thrilled with the turnout for the sixth Armour Hill/Ashburnham Memorial Park clean-up on Saturday,” Jenn McCallum, AMSG co-founder, told kawarthaNOW.
“About 60 volunteers cleaned up 38 bags of garbage, and cigarette butts were collected separately to be sent to TerraCycle for recycling,” McCallum shared.
“The volunteers included people of all ages, from toddlers to youth to seniors, and many volunteers also brought their pets to the event. With this number of people coming out, the clean-up was both thorough and quick.”
Armour Hill is the tallest drumlin within the Peterborough drumlin field and features a war memorial to commemorate World War I veterans.
It’s an “iconic” place in Peterborough, McCallum noted.
“Cleaning up the hill is important to show the park some love, because unfortunately, illegal garbage dumping is an ingrained and regular activity that happens within the park. Cleaning up this space shows stewardship and care for the park, both for its human and animal visitors,” McCallum said prior to the event.
The AMSG hosts two park clean-ups annually: one in April and one in November. Typically, 50 to 60 people participate in the clean-up endeavours.
When asked what would be the best possible outcome for Armour Hill park, McCallum said, “in the future, and for the long term, we would love to see the parking lot at the top of Armour Hill changed to be a people-friendly space.
“Currently, as a large paved parking lot with no delineated parking spaces, it is a car-centric culture, where people come to enjoy the views and leave the garbage behind. We would love to see this space become a beautiful space that people come to enjoy, to picnic and see the views, while respecting the space and properly disposing of their garbage.”
The regular cleanups, which the AMSG has been hosting since November 2021, help keep the 14-acre urban forest safe and clean, AMSG noted.
This year’s events focus on community engagement, which will inform the development of a conceptual drawing of the top of Armour Hill as “an active transportation and community space.”
Armour Hill is a popular destination during the summer — largely because of its commanding views — and it’s also frequented during the winter months by those who toboggan.
For more information about Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group, including how to get involved, visit ashburnhamstewardship.com.
