It’s a common concern among wilderness advocates and managers that natural spaces could be loved to death by well intended but overzealous recreators.
Vancouver Lake, with its close proximity to the city and its increasing popularity during the summer months, makes it vulnerable to accumulating large amounts of litter, but several local organizations are working to make sure that doesn’t happen.
For the second consecutive year, volunteers will descend on the beach and flushing channel of Vancouver Lake to clean the shores from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 20.
Last year more than 200 volunteers picked up 40 bags of trash, ranging from cigarettes and plastic cups to even a few tires, said Debrah Marriott, executive director of the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership.
“This is part of our ongoing work with Clark County, the Port of Vancouver and the city of Vancouver to get folks to fall in love all over again with Vancouver Lake and to recognize the great recreational opportunities it gives us right in our back yard,” she said.
Wherever you find people you’ll find litter, but pollution at Vancouver Lake can be particularly pernicious because of its connection to the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.
Trash on the shores can be washed or blown into the lake and eventually washed out to sea. The debris also puts at risk more than 200,000 migratory birds that visit the lake annually, as well as several varieties of fish.
Marriott said last year’s cleanup effort brought in more than double the number of expected volunteers, and organizers hope they can recreate that success again this year.
The cleanup is part of Experience Vancouver Lake, a larger effort to get locals excited about and feeling connected to the lake through recreational and stewardship events.
Local support is crucial for solving larger ecological issues, such as Vancouver Lake’s algae bloom problems, Marriott said.
“By building support and interest of people who live, work and recreate in the area, we’ve found those projects are sustained the longest by the broadest part of the community,” she said. “The more people feel they understand the natural resources and how we can take care of them, the better the support is for these larger fixes we need to do.”
People of all ages and abilities are invited to the cleanup.
Light refreshments, gloves and garbage bags will be available for those who need them. Those that do go should remember to wear closed-toe shoes, long pants and other clothing fitting for the weather. Volunteers also should bring water, and gloves if they have them.
Pre-registration is required so officials know how much food and supplies to bring. Register at http://bit.ly/2alQZPZ.
