nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on Mar 23, 2009 10:04:32 GMT -5
Hi everyone. I'd like to introduce myself here at NB Paddlers. My name is Nancy Maddock and wilderness canoe tripping is my life's passion.
I've always hated to see the garbage out there left behind by thoughtless others, so I started a volunteer cleanup event a few years ago in Ontario's Algonquin Park. The following year the one and only renowned wilderness canoe expert, photographer and author, Kevin Callan, joined with me to do a cleanup event of our own. In 2007, the event (held each year on Mother's Day Weekend) was open to all of North America and last year it became a global event, including Canada, USA, UK and Brazil!
Kevin and I will once again be hosting The Great Wilderness Cleanup this Mother's Day Weekend (May 9-10, 2009). It has become a tradition that the main event be held during that weekend in honour of Mother Earth. Those who are unable to participate that weekend may choose another time that best suits their needs.
If you're not already familiar with this event, the basic idea is to get a group of friends, family or co-workers together, choose a name for your group, pick a favourite spot in the outdoors and spend a fun weekend paddling, hiking, backpacking or camping while picking up the trash along your way that thoughtless others have left behind. It's a great way to spend quality time with people you care about and do a great thing at the same time!
****PLEASE NOTE: ALL VOLUNTEERS WILL BE PARTICIPATING AT THEIR OWN RISKS. PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND BE AWARE OF ANY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS OR COLD TEMPERATURES!!!****
I would love to see some new faces this year along with our devoted regulars. Maybe we will have a prize for the group with the most first-time volunteers... Just remember, this event is open to the entire WORLD!!
Literally hundreds of volunteers participated in 2008 and enormous amounts of garbage were taken out; Brazil had to hire a garbage truck to haul out their trash. Let's make it even bigger and better this year!!!! This planet has become a dirty place, so let's get together and help clean her up!!
For further information and to join, please e-mail me at wildernesscleanup@rogers.com. Please let me know how many are in your group, the name of your group and the place you will be cleaning up.
Together we are making a real difference.
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Post by Ken Corbett on Mar 24, 2009 12:27:05 GMT -5
Thank you, Nancy. I think your idea is fabulous. I plan to take a couple of extra garbage bags with me on every trip from now on, and pack out whatever trash I can. It's the least I can do for my fellow paddlers, and for the forest itself.
Ken
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ldmrt
Voyageur
Posts: 124
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Post by ldmrt on Mar 28, 2009 4:24:43 GMT -5
Yay! What an awesome idea! I hope it all goes well. That weekend is still a bit cold here so we're not on the river yet, but it is right around the time we do have an organized event to pick up the garbage along the sides of our secondary roads in the area.
Not sure if we can get anything organized for a riverside clean up, but I know we always have a few extra bags with us, incase we find a big mess, but usually just find an odd beer can. Upsalquitch River paddlers are a great bunch, and love our river, so usually never leave much mess behind.
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nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on Mar 28, 2009 8:59:03 GMT -5
The Saskatoon Canoe Club will help clean up the South Saskatchewan River near Saskatoon and will likely be coordinating their efforts with the Meewasin Valley Authority.
Another group yet to be named will be cleaning up the Obatanga PP and the surrounding Crown Land.
And we've got some regulars helping out in Algonquin PP and in the Kawartha Highlands here in Ontario.
Thanks, Ken and Idmrt, for your efforts, too! As already mentioned, it doesn't have to be on Mother's Day Weekend to be a part of The Great Wilderness Cleanup. If you get something organized, give me a shout at wildernesscleanup@rogers.com and we'll spread the word.
P.S. Ken, after I posted this thread here, I noticed you have a "Footprints" section - maybe I should have put this announcement there?
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Post by Hillbilly on Mar 28, 2009 13:48:41 GMT -5
awesome , great job
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nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on Apr 18, 2009 16:56:00 GMT -5
It's just 3 short weeks away! I just got home from splurging on a bit of new gear, so I'm all excited now. A few more groups from the Ottawa and Quebec regions have signed up. How about you? ;D Oh, did I mention that the winner(s) of the Nova Craft Cronje canoe being given away as Grand Prize for the "Best Group Story Written" will pick up their canoe and get their photo taken with Kevin Callan at the Canoe Museum in Peterborough?
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nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on May 4, 2009 15:16:37 GMT -5
I'm busy getting ready for our cleanup weekend in the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park here in Ontari-ari-ario. Kevin Callan and I will be leading a group this coming weekend (May 9-10) around Gold, Cold and Poplar Lakes. TonyBrazil (Tony Osse), our Brazil leader, led his cleanup this past weekend. If it's anything like last year, it will be a great success. People at www.songofthepaddle.co.uk are getting ready for their cleanups, too. They all did a phenomenal job last year - I can't wait to hear about this year's trips. This year our grand prize Nova Craft Cronje canoe will be given to the "Best Group Story Written". The winner(s) will have their photo taken with renowned expert, Kevin Callan. The only catch is that the winner(s) must be able to pick up their canoe at the Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario. I will be heading up early Friday, so get your info to me at wildernesscleanup@rogers.com before then, if you can. Just a few days left!! I can't wait to read all the stories! Good luck and be safe!
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nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on May 12, 2009 19:51:08 GMT -5
Got back Monday evening and I'm trying to catch up on e-mails and laundry.
Many thanks to you, Kevin, and Ash for bringing Kyla on Saturday to our campsite on Cold Lake, even during the rain. Kyla is a trooper, for sure, she didn't complain at all!!
We surprisingly found not too much trash where we went this year - GREAT!! Although Kevin said they found a lot where they went.
I will post lots more in the days to come after I have a chance to check out all the e-mails, photos and stories.
Post yours and share with us!
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nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on May 13, 2009 19:54:03 GMT -5
Just to let everyone know, stories submitted as entries to win the grand prize Nova Craft Cronje canoe should be between 300-500 words, if possible. The winner will be determined by the editors of Explore Magazine.
Please e-mail your entries to BOTH Kevin Callan at callan@sympatico.ca and to me at wildernesscleanup@rogers.com Feel free to post them online, as well, so we can all share the enjoyment!
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nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on May 18, 2009 16:05:49 GMT -5
Since I'm the one who's giving away the grand prize Nova Craft Cronje canoe, I can't enter to win, but I wrote a story anyway, just for fun. Here it is:
It was a dark and stormy night...
Or was it just the cloud of black flies surrounding my head?
Friday, May 8, 2009, the beginning of our adventure for The Great Wilderness Cleanup 2009...
My brother, Ron, and I, packed up my Civic with Nova Craft secured on the roof. With Ron’s best friend, Murphy the Golden Retriever, aboard, we set off for Beaver Lake Road in the Kawartha Highlands where we would put in and paddle through Gold Lake and into Cold Lake to base camp for the next 4 days. Our objective was to venture out into the unknown and clean up where others have gone before.
We made a wrong turn at Lindsay, but not to worry, it was just a minor detour. After 200 km of driving, at Hwy 507 we encountered a “road closed” sign. But not to worry, the road crew let us pass. After reaching the access point on Beaver Lake Road, we disembarked the Civic and were attacked by the black flies. It was a dark and stormy night...or so it seemed with all the black flies. I instinctively tossed my fleece jacket into the car and raced for my bug jacket, unthinking of the fact that my car keys were in the fleece. Ron unknowingly shut the doors. Uh oh...
After flagging down a passing car and having them kindly call CAA for us, we not-so-patiently waited. The bugs were getting worse and Ron’s bug jacket was still in the car. We frantically poked small branches through the partially-open sun roof to attempt to unlock the doors. No go. Ron brilliantly suggested using a paddle...it worked!
Mike and Deb arrived shortly thereafter. We set off to make camp on Cold Lake. After a pleasant afternoon (with bug jackets on, of course), and a steak dinner, Ron and I decided to go for an evening paddle. Ron was in the stern. I attempted to set out the canoe, but balance was lost and Ron went for a dip in Cold Lake. It was cold, all right, the ice was not long gone! After showing us all his bare behind, Ron managed to get some dry clothes on. We all enjoyed the rest of the evening by a warm fire.
Saturday was a mixed bag of weather, ranging from sunny and warm, to cold, windy and rainy. Don’t forget the bugs! We managed to venture out to a couple of campsites on Cold Lake to clean up before the rain hit. Ron and I found very little where we went - hurray! Our own campsite, however, had a few old beer cans and bottles, some plastic bags, a large round back yard patio-type table (complete with pole for an umbrella) and a rusty full-size propane BBQ. Kevin, his little girl, Kyla, and Ashley arrived around lunch time during the rain. Kyla was a real trooper and didn’t want to go when her daddy said it was time to leave. It’s a good thing they did, however; we were later hit with a bad thunderstorm and had to hunker down in our tents for a few hours. I, for one, had a nice nap! The storm passed and we had another nice fire that evening.
Sunday was cloudy and cold, but rain-free. We had breakfast, said our goodbyes to Mike and Deb, and then Ron and I paddled/portaged over to Cox Lake to do some cleaning. Again, we didn’t find much, just 2 bags from several sites. “Could it be working?”, I asked myself. Back we went to Cold Lake, where we enjoyed another campfire on a beautiful evening. I was awakened at about 2:30 AM, not a sound at all except that of a lone beaver slapping it’s tail on the surface of the water...ten...eleven...twelve times I counted before it made its way back where it came from. I felt privileged to have experienced it and it made the entire trip for me.
Monday morning the sun was shining! The bugs were out. We had to pack up and head home. It’s always sad to leave and go home. Even after the bugs and the rain and the lightening and thunder, it‘s always sad to leave and go home.
I’m always sad to leave, but I’m also happy to know that I’ve left there leaving it nicer than it was when I got there. It doesn’t take much. Just pick up a thing or two...or three...or more. Just pack it in and just pack it out.
Simple as that.
Together we ARE making a difference. Thank you all.
We've had only 6 stories entered so far to win the canoe, so get yours in soon. I don't have a deadline yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I have one. Why not post them here as well as sending them to Kevin and me? We'd love to read them!
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nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on May 29, 2009 10:15:05 GMT -5
Hi everybody. My apologies for being so waaay behind in cleanup things! I've been so very busy lately with not only 2 trips within a 2-week time span, but also with work, things at home like trying to get my gardening done, and now I've been on jury duty this week. I still haven't even washed out my canoe yet.
If you please, I'd like to get results from all the cleanups in soon, including stories being submitted for entry to win the grand prize Nova Craft Cronje canoe (purchased with the help of a generous donation of $2,000 by Canada Post). I don't know of any trips planned beyond the end of May (if you have one planned, please let me know ASAP!!), so I'm going to set a deadline for all results and story entries for the end of the first weekend of June (June 7th).
Send me all the info you can think of from your cleanup trip, such as your group name, how many people in your group, how many bags of garbage/recycling, other items found, weird items, big items, small items, really nasty items, really nice items, re-usable items, etc. Send me photos! We want photos!! Please also give me a small note (e-mail is fine) to give me written permission to use your photos online and/or publicly if you would like them shared.
Please feel free to post your stuff here, too, we all love to share in the experience! I'm hoping to get some pics from our own group up here shortly.
Here is a list of prizes we have to give away:
1. Nova Craft Cronje canoe (winner must be able to pick it up in Peterborough, Ontario) 2. Explore Magazine subscription 3. Kevin Callan's Wilderness Pleasures book 4. Eureka mat-chairs 5. M&M's gift certificates 6. Laurie March's A Fork in the Trail cookbook 7. WildernessCooking.com White Box Alcohol Stove 8. MEC dry bags 9. Great Wilderness Cleanup portage & hiking sign - generously donated by Gerry Neilands, veteran Scouts leader and writer for Leader magazine.
Please e-mail your results to me at wildernesscleanup@rogers.com and your stories to me and Kevin Callan at callan@sympatico.ca so they may be forwarded to the editors at Explore Magazine for the judging.
Good luck everyone and once again, thank you all for helping to make our beloved wilderness an even prettier place to be!
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nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on Jun 8, 2009 9:13:04 GMT -5
Guess what?! We have just added another chapter to The Great Wilderness Cleanup!! Yes, Finland has just joined us! Welcome Finland! I recently received an e-mail from Mr Jaakko P. Makikyla, President of The Finnish Open Canoe Association. The association is proud to announce that they held their first cleanup event this spring and had a great turnout. I invited Jaakko to join us in leading Finland as our new chapter, and he has accepted! Here are a couple of links you should check out about it (one is in Finnish, but the pics are universal): roskaretki.blogit.fi/www.avokanootti.info/html/in_english.htmlOnce again, welcome Finland!!
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nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on Jun 10, 2009 12:12:26 GMT -5
Hi everyone. I'm still waiting on a few results, but as soon as they come in, I'll get things together and post it all. In the meantime, I thought you might like to check out a couple of blogs from the UK cleanups. Enjoy! www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=16881www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=15742 (This one starts about 1/3 down the page and is posted by Kazbunny cleaning up the Chichester Canal.) Here's a few pics to check out from our own group, The Kawartha Brigade: Courtesy of Me ;D Kevin, Kyla and Ash arriving on a wet Saturday Courtesy of Kevin CallanKeeping Kyla warm Kyla and Ash being silly Kyla having some lunch (what a cutie!) Ron Deb and Mike (Lost Canoe) Group shot I count 5 bags in that photo, and a full-size propane BBQ (on an island!). There was also a big round table with a metal pole through the middle of it, like a patio table. Deb and Mike found another bag or so on Cold Lake on their way out and Ron and I picked up a couple of bags from Cox Lake. I think that would be 8 "or so" bags in total. Geez, more than I thought. Courtesy of RonDeb, Mike and Murphy (Ron's Golden Retriever) keeping the bugs off Murphy guarding our supplies (yes, they've put picnic tables on all the sites in the Kawarthas ) Yours truly (hey, the bugs love me, OK? ) Courtesy of Mike MacHugh (Lost Canoe)A bug-free meal...well, sort of Yours truly and Mike at the table I was telling you about (Now where did I put that kitchen sink? ) Home from the water Stay tuned for more from others...
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nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on Jun 18, 2009 8:39:27 GMT -5
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nancy
Lily dipper
Posts: 15
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Post by nancy on Jun 18, 2009 15:51:39 GMT -5
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