Because of a longstanding interest in the environment, helping animals, and making a difference, volunteering to be the coordinator for the annual Shoreline Cleanup made a lot of sense for student Julie Dixon.
That was three years ago and she is back for a third time of rounding up volunteers for the event that runs in conjunction with World Rivers Day, which is Sept. 28 this year. This year’s cleanup spans parts of two days and both sides of the South Thompson, with Sept. 27 designated to the reserve side by the Red Bridge and the next day, the area between Pioneer Park and Overlanders Bridge.
The cleanup on Sept. 28 starts at 11am, with World Rivers Day activities running 10am to 2pm at Riverside Park. The day is a family oriented one and will feature entertainers, musicians, arts and crafts, face painting, a bouncy castle, a tree planting, interactive games, and information booths.
To get involved, email Dixon at xo.julie.dixon@gmail.com
Coordinating the cleanup has given Dixon an outlet for her passions, but for only a few weeks of the year. Soon, she will have something year-round through a new club she and friend Melissa Gordon created a few months ago after hearing renown anthropologist Jane Goodall speak at TRU this year in March. Goodall was this year’s TRU Students’ Union’s Common Voices Lecture Series speaker and among other things, spoke of her grassroots clubs geared towards young people called Roots and Shoots. Club members examine their neighbourhoods, identify challenges, and develop plans to address some of those needs.
That got Dixon and Gordon thinking they could create a campus Roots and Shoots. They have undertaken the necessary initial steps and are in the process of promoting the club, which included having a table at Clubs Day earlier the month. Dixon and Gordon are hopeful to have an official event in the coming weeks.
“It was really inspiring to hear Jane Goodall, who has always been a role model of mine,” says Dixon, who is in her fourth year of animal biology. “Hearing her talk, her point of view, and why she thinks it’s important to get people involved was inspiring.”
Background on World Rivers Day
(information courtesy of the City of Kamloops)
The event initially began in 1980, when Mark Angelo founded BC Rivers Day. In 2005, the event expanded to the entire world, creating World Rivers Day.
With close to 100,000 people participating in British Columbia alone, World Rivers Day will continue to increase awareness of water-related issues and promote core values associated with sustainability, conservation, and river stewardship.
