So you wanna organize a Rideau River cleanup this May 13th?

General steps for a organizing a Rideau River cleanup on this Mother’s Day May 13 2007, 10 a.m -1 p.m. Rain or shine!


1.You need cleanup supplies, a community centre, refreshments, posters, liability waivers, maps, volunteers, a team leader, prizes (optional) and lots of energy.
2.Call me and I can arrange to drop off your cleanup supplies at the location of your choice on May 12 2007. Or I can tell you when you can pick them up at Sandy Hill Community Centre. Your clean up supplies will include garbage bags, and plastic gloves if you need them. There may be some other stuff in there I’m not sure.
3.Urban Rideau Conservationists have only enough refreshments and give always for our two meet up destinations (on 1 Donald and 193 Stanley). I would highly recommend you try to find refreshments and some donated prizes for your volunteers on May 13TH. It’s a nice touch, and it makes a better event if you can do this.
4.Posters and Liability waivers are available on our blogsite urbanrideauconserve.blogspot.com You can download the poster and liability waiver. The posters can go up wherever you like, it may be best to make your own poster if you want to advertise your particular meeting place and specific contact. The only thing I ask is that you acknowledge Urban Rideau Conservationists, NECA, The City of Ottawa, Rideau Valley Conservation Association, and the Ottawa – Vanier Greens on your poster. If you are using our liability form please do not alter it. As well, it is important that you get everyone to sign the liability form, and remind people to be careful around the Rideau. Tell volunteers to be cautious around the shoreline, especially with their footing, and not to take any risks while collecting garbage. Do not pick up any needles, unless you fully understand the danger of contracting HIV or hep B if you accidentally stab yourself (yikes I know). All children under 18 need to be with their parent/or a responsible adult and they need to sign the liability form. It’s good to work in groups.
5.Ask your volunteers to bring work gloves and to dress for mucky conditions. You may tell people to feel free to bring their own makeshift cleanup supplies. They can use them every year! Make sure if you use a community centre as your meet up place that you leave the centre as clean as you found it. Try to find a meet up place with bathrooms, and water fountains.
6.It may be a good idea to be able to offer your volunteers a decent map of the spots on the Rideau they need to concentrate on cleaning up. This may mean going out on the part of the Rideau you want to focus on, and making a note of all the ‘hot spots’ that need to go on the map. You can then make copies of this map to hand out to volunteers or just have one general map they can refer to.
7.It helps to set all of your stuff (cleanup supplies, waiver form, refreshments etc.) in one general area or on one table. It cuts down on the confusion because usually everyone will arrive at the cleanup at the same time, and it’s good to have a plan.
8.Please let me know where you are telling everyone to put their full garbage bags. I will call the City of Ottawa after the cleanup is finished on May 13th, and let them know where you have put your river trash. I am telling everyone in the down town core to put their bags next to trash cans in the park, that way the City can access them easier. Let me know.
9.We are planning to make recycling boxes available to those volunteers who like to recycle the plastic and glass they pull out of the Rideau. Get in touch with me, and hopefully I can arrange something.
10.Please email me or leave a comment on my blog about your experience, any comments, and ideas. Just let it rip. I would really appreciate your insight. Also take all sorts of pictures and email me your shots. I will put all your pictures on our blog, and I will also send them to the City of Ottawa and various environmental groups. I will also send pictures to the companies that are the biggest garbage polluters in the Rideau (they need to know). We would love it if you could help us out with this.
11.Please let your volunteers know that Urban Rideau Conservationists will be holding a yearly Mother’s day clean up, so stay tuned to our blogsite (urbanrideauconserve.blogspot.com) and as well check out our other events, and information. We have held over seven Rideau river clean ups in the past, but we now want them to be organized every Mother’s Day in Ottawa. As well, URC is interested in holding other important environmental initiatives. For example we are thinking about organizing a naked swim in the Ottawa Rideau mid summer as an anti-pesticide demonstration. Actually it may end up ‘clothing optional’ swim. Lets wiggle our jiggley parts together!
12.All people who participate in our cleanup will be granted instant good karma. You will never have to face a reincarnation as a Rideau froggie with 6 legs. Remember a polluted Rideau sends the message to the world that we don’t care about it’s fragile ecosystem. The Rideau needs a lot of protection and Urban Rideau Conservationists wants to make sure this happens. Get involved. The Rideau can’t wait.


Catherine Canning
Coordinator
Urban Rideau Conservationists
613-325-7204