Over 50 people joined together last weekend to clean up the Cumberland Marsh. The event was organized by Cumberland Elementary student Josie Patterson as part of a Citizenship project for her grade 7 Class.

Ms. Patterson was surprised at the amount of garbage in the area and felt this class project was the perfect opportunity to do something about it. She enlisted the help of the Cumberland Community Schools’ Environment Club, the Cumberland Cubs, and other community members who spent the afternoon collecting tires, diapers, old toys, a woodstove and even an old car! The end result was a large container full of garbage, two truckloads of scrap metal and a much cleaner marsh.

The Marsh, located at the south end of the Village, flows into the Trent River and eventually drains into Baynes Sound. Although maps indicate a fish-bearing stream and sensitive wetlands, there is little data available regarding the species that inhabit this area. According to the Project Watershed Society this is not uncommon. Many wildlife habitats and wetlands in the Comox Valley have not been adequately inventoried and are rapidly being lost or degraded through urban development. With development soon to increase in the Cumberland area, protecting this habitat is becoming even more critical.

Ms. Patterson was pleased with the community support she received and hopes to make the clean up an annual event. She would like to thank B & D Containers, Slegg Lumber, Dodge City Cycles, Pigeon Lake Landfill and Warren Myers for their support, and the volunteers who spent the afternoon picking garbage!

Cumberland Community Schools’ Environment Club