Record Staff
Earth Day just happened to coincide with annual shoreline cleanup by the Comité de sauvegarde du bassin versant du lac Davignon (CSBVLD) in Cowansville on Saturday.
Close to 50 volunteers gathered to pick up trash littering the lakefront throughout the day, and several dozen bags were collected.
According to Pierre St-Arnault, president of the CSBVLD, this year boasted the largest volunteer mobilization for the spring shoreline cleanup.
“Over the past few years, the CSBVLD has made remarkable efforts to raise awareness about the protection of our lake. And it’s paying off,” St-Arnault commented in a press release.
The cleanup, however, points to discouraging results.
The number of bags of waste recovered remains high, a sign that the organization must continue to raise awareness and educate people.
According to the CSBVLD, a typical plastic water bottle takes 500 years to decompose in nature. A glass bottle stays in the environment for 4,000 years, and polystyrene trays pollute for 1,000 years!
CSBVLD President St-Arnault thanked all the people who participated in the recent cleanup. “This activity would not be as successful without the support of committed volunteers who care about the quality of our environment. I sincerely thank them. I would also like to thank the St-Hubert restaurant for providing lunch to all the volunteers,” he added.