Denman Island Annual Community Beach Cleanup  Sept 15 - 22, 2018

A huge thank you to Denman community volunteers and our co-sponsors

This year over 160 volunteers participated in our Denman Beach cleanup event, including over 40 students and teachers from our Community School. For the second year, the Association for Denman Island Marine Stewards (ADIMS) collaborated with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the BC Shellfish Growers Association (BCSGA) in what is known as The Big Beach Cleanup (BBC). ADIMS organized our annual Denman Island event, while BCSGA and DFO organized cleanups from Royston to Deep Bay.

The entire Denman Island shoreline was covered, including Tree Island.

ADIMS has organized the community beach cleanup on Denman for the past 14 years. We continue to battle a never-ending stream of industrial plastic debris washing up on our shores. This year we collected the largest amount ever, over 6 tons of debris; as in previous years, 90 per cent of it originates with the shellfish aquaculture industry. This amount of debris is clearly unacceptable! We will continue to work with industry and DFO on addressing the issue.

ADIMS collaboration with DFO, BCSGA, and Vancouver-based Ocean Legacy enabled us to ship the bulk of unusable plastic debris to Ocean Legacy for recycling. We also had assistance from industry to transport reusable industry gear and equipment off island for reuse. Artists and locals found treasures for projects and other purposes, too, so very little debris ended up at the landfill site.

ADIMS Annual Denman Island Event was sponsored and organized by

ADIMS Beach Cleanup Coordinator: Liz Johnston

ADIMS Co-Chairs: Dorrie Woodward & Barb Mills

ADIMS Directors: Linda Sheehan, Sussan Thomson, Lisa Pierce and
Claire Kennedy

Many thanks to our Big Beach Cleanup co-sponsors for collaborating with ADIMS
to clean up the entire Baynes Sound area

Chris Marrie (DFO)

Darlene Winterburn (BCSGA)

Alex Munroe (Fanny Bay Oysters) and

Chloe Dubois (Ocean Legacy)

Thanks also to our out-of-town VIP visitors who helped with sorting and loading:

Kim Dunn (World Wildlife Fund)

Maryann Watson (West Coast Environmental Law) and

Mike Berard (Pacific Wild)

The event was registered with the Vancouver Aquarium’s Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup,
an initiative that provides online resources across Canada.

ADIMS would also like to express appreciation to:
  • The DIRA Old School Committee for use of the field, and for the assistance provided by Stacey Armstrong at recycling, Mike Nestor at the Bottle Depot, and the always wonderful ‘Free Store’ team.
  • The Grapevine and Flagstone teams for their assistance with photography and media coverage.
  • The DI Community School Principal Shelley Ord, teachers, parents, students & PAC liaison Jessica Hicks for organizing a fun event, which included hot dogs and learning how to cook bannock on an open fire!
  • Member of Parliament Gord Johns, who raised the plastic debris issue on Denman Island in the House of Commons.
  • The many media outlets covering the event, including local Facebook, newspaper, television and radio.
  • Support from our Islands Trust as well as the Comox Valley Regional District, who waived dumping fees.
  • ADIMS funders that help us do our work:
    Lush Cosmetics
    Comox Valley Regional District
    Denman Works!
    West Coast Environmental Law

Thanks to the Denman Island Community
2018 Beach Cleanup Volunteers!

Beach Team

Ron & Linda Adair, Kerri & John Andrew, Hap & Lucinda Abbott, Nick, Philip, Klaus & Gabi Bieback, Margaret Bilan, Harold & Marit Birkland, Wendy Boothroyd & Ken Bramble, Natalie Brash, Deryn Buchan, Ian & Marjorie Clark, Karen & Don Clarke, Sharon Clarke, Annie Corddry, Cindy & David Critchley, Suzette Cullen, Ian & Naomi Elliot, Jim McConkey & Paule Deschenes, Val Hammel & Bob Albrecht, Dan Hawthorn, Joan Donaghey, Brad Hornick, Bev Hollingsworth, Sadie Farrel, Beth & Paul Janz, Edina & Graeme Johnston, Liz & John Johnston, Barbara Heyward Jones & Bonnie, Ann & Hamish Kimmins, Morley & Shelley McKeachie, Denise & Boyd McKean, Helen & Peter Mason, Michael McNulty, Shari Dunnet & Richard Menard, Caroline & Ron Montgomery, Lyndsey Jennings & Jan Murphy, Elizabeth & Allen Norris, Shelley & Steve Ord, Lawrence Justrabo & Bridgit 0’Regan, Chris & Anne Page, Anne & Rick Paisley, Lisa Pierce & Heather McLean, Shirley Ward & Bill Peters, Tom Provencal, Julie Quin, Jeanie & Randy Rodgers, Angela Robinson, Michael Romanoff, Judith Scruton, Ron & JoAnne Shephard, Howard & Mary Jane Stewart, Andrew & Lynn Slater, Sharon Small, Mary Spurr, Christine Stewart, Stewart Green & Angelica Swangard, Mike & Selinda White, Chris & Judy Taylor, G. Walter, Ashera Woodburn, Dorrie Woodward, Ron & Helen Wilson, Stirling Fraser & Noni Fenwick Wilson, Joanne Mclean & John Wigle, Chris & Cathy Wright, Jessica Hicks & Tom Wyton, Denman Island Elementary School students, teachers, staff & PAC.

Boat Team
Howard Stewart and Tom Wyton collecting debris by boat

Noel Villard, Chris Page, Stewart Green, Tom Wyton, Howard & Mary Jane Stewart, Peter & Helen Mason, John Wigle, Alex Munro (Fanny Bay Oysters).

 

Sorting & Loading Team
Jim McConkey, 92, our oldest volunteer

Nick & Philip Biebach, Wendy Boothroyd, Mike Berard, Kim Dunn, Tim Fuchs, Jim McConkey & Paule Deschenes, Skye Jasmine, Edi & Graeme Johnston, John & Liz Johnston, Cheryl Hurlburt, Peter Karsten, Claire Kennedy, Helen Mason, John & Barb Mills, Natalie Ban, Elizabeth & Allen Norris, Eileen O’Brien, Chris Page, Lisa Pierce, Angela Robinson, Jeanie Rodgers, Linda Sheehan, Andrew Slater, Steve Smith,   MaryJane Stewart, Sussan Thomson, Noel Villard, Maryann Watson, Dorrie Woodward, Tom & Rita Zawilla.

Trucks, Trailers and Transport Team

Ongoing thanks to Shaun White for flat deck trailer; Steve Smith for assistance with loading & driving; Dave Lang for local trucking; Fanny Bay Oysters Company & Holly Wood Oysters Co. for picking up industry equipment; Ocean Legacy and Kingsley Trucking for plastic transport.

Denman Island Fleet of smaller trucks and trailers

Dan Stoneman, Edi & Graeme Johnston, John Johnston, Stirling Fraser, Noel Villard, John Mills, Tim Fuchs, Ron Shepard, Peter Mason, Chris Taylor, John Andrew, Russ Hicks.

Photography, Video, Creativity Team

Video & Photo Production: Sussan Thomson
Drone Master: Keith Clark
Photo Credits: Gerry Ambrose, Noel Villard, Linda Sheehan, Liz Johnston
Creative Installations: Wendy Pope.

Hot Chili Lunch

Many thanks to Judy and Bob Armstrong who prepared and delivered delicious hot chili, buns and apple cake to the 30 cold, wet, hungry volunteers at the Saturday sorting and loading.

Weird Washed-Up Items

This year we found something very special and touching – a beautifully crafted miniature BC Ferry, complete with unopened bottle of scotch, cigar, solar lights and a memorial plaque. It was found by Noel Millard and Chris Page at Boyle Point. They repaired it, and relaunched it for new adventures at sea

Chris Page & Captain Noel Villard found a model of a BC Ferry at Boyle Point

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A sincere thanks to all, and
please let us know if we have forgotten anyone!

ADIMS Email: adimsinfo@gmail.com