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A record number of students at Kincardine District Secondary School swept through the former Town of Kincardine, cleaning up debris and litter in honour of Earth Day Thursday.

Organizer Jim Taylor said the turn-out was terrific as about 400-500 students from 21 classes, Grades 9-12, joined in the event.

One group found some wood in a ravine, and a student decided there was value in it so he took it home.

Pieces of iron were thrown on the garbage pile, as well as an old microwave found along the guard rail beside the school, and two old television sets (one covered in green moss) found in a ditch by the river and in the ravine by the foot bridge.

"We assigned the classes to certain areas of town within walking distance of the school," said Taylor. "Some went along Andrew Malcolm and Goldie Crescent, others to the boardwalk and Tiny Tot Park, and other groups to West Street, Nelson Street and Kingsway."

He said the five-cent charge for plastic grocery bags has made an impact in the amount of those found during the clean-up. "A lady told me that she was cleaning up around Zehrs and she had one-tenth of the grocery bags gathered up from any other year," he said.

Taylor had some help sorting through items for recycling, while the rest was sent to the landfill site. The Kincardine public works crew arrived to pick up all the trash and haul it away, free of charge.

John McCool (L) and Airiana Fyke gather up garbage beside KDSS

Bruce Eisen carries in an old TV he found in a ditch by the river

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Thursday, April 22, 2010