Area Lions clubs participate in annual adopt-a-highway spring clean-up challenge
Area Lions clubs participate in annual adopt-a-highway spring clean-up challenge
By Joanne Jordan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
ST. MARY'S — As spring arrives, many groups across the province are planning to take part in the annual Nova Scotia Adopt-a-Highway program, including Lions clubs in Sheet Harbour and the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s.
In an email interview with The Journal, Sheet Harbour Lions’ President Denise Logan spoke about her club's recent participation in the highway clean-up, and extended an invitation to other clubs, groups, individuals and organizations to join in.
“The Sheet Harbour Lions Club has been doing an annual Earth Day cleanup for the past 10 years. This usually takes place in the Sheet Harbour area, except during COVID, [when] we cleaned up in our own communities,” she wrote.
“Last year, when we only had a few volunteers, I started to think of a way to motivate more community members, beyond the Lions, and thought a friendly competition between community groups might get people involved. We would also be able to cover more area than just Sheet Harbour. I sent a letter around two months ago and was so excited to hear back from a few groups that were interested in taking part.”
Logan said volunteers with her club cleaned up the Lions playground, the start of Hwy. 224 and Hwy. 374, part of Church Point Road, part of Sheet Harbour Passage, St. Andrews Loop, Elmhurst Drive and the Art Park.
“I love nature and being immersed in all its natural beauty, whether it is on a nature walk in the woods or being on one of our shores,” she said, in reflecting on her passion for the program.
“When I see garbage it saddens me to see our disrespect for nature and lack of care for our earth. I feel litter is getting worse, especially in and around our cities. It is awful especially around brooks and rivers or along our shores. I wish there was more that could be done to clean it up and a way to prevent it from happening.”
Logan added, “I am positive the Sheet Harbour Lions Club will continue to do this cleanup each year as long as there is a need.”
When asked if she feels her efforts to inspire others to take part in this spring's clean-up program were effective, she said, “I am excited to see the results of the hard work all these people are doing, in and around our communities this week, as people send me their pictures. I did this as a competition to get people involved, but it doesn't matter which group wins, our earth and our communities are the true winners.”
She thanked everyone who took part in the Earth Day clean-up, especially her fellow Lions: Lynn Cameron, Jackie Landry-Cumminger, Jonathan Cumminger, Beverly Smith, Anne Marie Watt, Wanda Purcell and Beth Mahaney, along with her Dylan and Emily Logan, “who inspire me to make this a better world for the generations to come.”
Norah Fraser, leader of the highway clean-up committee for the St. Mary’s District Lions Club, said they have been involved in the project for more than 25 years.
“We try to do it in both the spring and fall. Usually, we would have at least half of the active members in our club participating. We always sort out the recyclables. The garbage is taken to the municipal transfer station,” she explained.
Fraser’s club is planning to clear more than one area this spring.
“This year, our commitment is to clean two sections of Hwy. 7; from our Lions’ Community Centre west to the community of Goldenville, [and] from the junction of Hwy. 211 and Hwy. 7 north to the Stillwater community centre.”
Fraser’s club has their clean-up planned for Saturday, April 27.
She noted that they are doing all they can to ensure their members stay as safe as possible while walking along the roadway collecting trash. They adhere as closely as possible to the rules, regulations and suggestions set out in the litter handbook available online, so that, hopefully, all clean ups are done smoothly and safely.
To participate, individuals must be 12 or older, and require an adult supervisor 18 years or more. Everyone should be dressed accordingly for the weather and must be wearing brightly coloured clothing or reflective vests.
Fraser explained that it is important to avoid turning backs to the traffic, while a first-aid kit and a cell phone will be available, if they are needed.
As for Fraser, “It is a small but worthwhile project,” she said, “one that provides our members with an opportunity to be out helping to keep our community roadsides clean and safer.”
Initiated in 1992 by the Women’s Institute of Nova Scotia, provincial Lions clubs and the then Nova Scotia Department of Transportation, the adopt-a-highway program launched with 18 groups of volunteers. That number has grown to more than 170 groups that cover more than 1,000 kilometres of roadways and interchanges across the province.
Roadways are ‘adopted’ twice a year – in the spring and fall – with clean-ups taking place in ditches and along their edges.
For more information on the Nova Scotia Adopt-a-Highway program, visit nsadoptahighway.ca
Joanne Jordan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal
