If you can help clean up the neighborhood, there could be a little recognition in it for Brighton, says Mayor Brian Ostrander.
This year marks the 14th edition of the Mayor’s Keep the County Clean Challenge – and Ostrander is calling on Brightonians to help clean up parks, ditches, roadways, trails, and more.
The week-long litter campaign is also a “friendly competition” among area communities, noted Ostrander, who’s hoping Brighton will rise to the challenge.
The challenge runs April 21 to 27 this year. Ultimately, though, the goal is to clean up the county with efforts along roadsides, in parks, greenspaces, ditches, et cetera. Residents can get involved on Earth Day or any of the days by registering with their local municipalities that also offer bags, gloves, safety vests, et cetera.
In Brighton, some 450 volunteers or so stepped up and took on the challenge last year – this year, the goal is to surpass 500 participants. And Brighton has had some wins over the years, noted Ostrander.
“The important thing is that we get out and we help keep the county clean, and in our case, we keep Brighton clean at the same time.”
For Brightonians looking to chip in, learn more, pick up supplies and the like, the municipality has a plethora of information available online via its site, where people can also find online registration forms. The libraries and public works (Sharp Road) are also options.
After cleanups, top honours – and trophies – are handed out to communities for the hardest working volunteers and the like.
And the combined effort does make a dent. Last year, more than 19,000 kilograms of litter was collected.
The ENSS Environmental Club is also hosting a special “Earth Day in Brighton” celebration while marking Earth Day Monday. The community can join students and local groups at Memorial Park from noon to 2 p.m.
Earth Day has been observed globally on April 22 since 1970.
“We know that there are real effects to not taking care of the planet and we’re seeing those effects on a much too regular basis these days,” said Ostrander, adding there’s also a permanency to these effects, including in the infrastructure world.
Ostrander used local roads as just one example – there’s no more mid-December freeze and thaw in March.
“Now, our pothole season is all winter long as freeze and thaw comes and goes, and that’s a very real cost associated to the taxpayer.”
In reality, Earth Day needs to be every day, stressed Ostrander.
“We need to be conscious of what we’re doing, and the impacts of what we’re doing on the environment – because it’s not just a matter of things ‘getting a little warmer – (this is) having a real detrimental impact on infrastructure in our communities, across this country, and around the world.”
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
