It is time to get ready for another Dive Against Debris ocean cleanup!
This is an event where divers, boaters, kayakers and shore support come together to remove garbage from our local ocean and shoreline.
Over five consecutive years, ending in 2015, volunteers removed 6,051 pounds of garbage from the bottom of Mannion Bay. The initiative then went on hiatus to allow time for the municipality to regulate and manage the area, as well as to allow time to analyze and differentiate the types of garbage collected.
This year the event is being held in conjunction with “Diving In: The Art of Cleaning Lakes and Oceans,” an environmental art campaign that aims to raise awareness of the waste in our lakes and oceans by transforming collected trash into beautiful and relevant art.
The campaign is a collaboration of the Sea to Sky Arts Council Alliance (Pemberton Arts Council, Arts Whistler, the Squamish Arts Council, Lions Bay Arts, The Hearth Arts on Bowen), West Vancouver Arts Council and North Van Arts. The art council collective will be working with volunteer divers from Divers for Cleaner Lakes and Oceans (DCLO), Return-It, local artists, and school groups.
The Dive Against Debris is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Volunteers will initially meet at the Bowen Island Marina for orientation. From there, the participants will disperse by boat or foot and gather at Sandy Beach.
While shoreline volunteers enjoy refreshments on the beach and wait for the divers and boaters to clean the depths of Mannion Bay, local artists will showcase their ocean-inspired images, stories or live performances in celebration of ocean conservation and preservation.
Once the debris is returned to the shore, it will be sorted, weighed and disposed of in municipal bins by volunteers. The grand total of trash collected will be announced by local guest speakers at 2 p.m. and a raffle will be held.
The event is supported by the Bowen Island Municipality, The Hearth, and Diving In: The Art of Cleaning Lakes and Oceans as well as and most importantly, the Bowen Island community.
If you are interested in participating or know someone else who may be, please contact me at underwaterangel@hotmail.com. We are looking for divers, free divers, boaters, kayakers, and shore crew. Come make new friends, have fun, and celebrate your love for the ocean and its inhabitants by being a part of this collaborative environmental event!
