KEEP OUR RIVER CLEAN APRIL 2021

SAVE THE DATE! “KEEP OUR RIVER CLEAN” 18TH APRIL 2021!

We’re in our fourth year of the quarterly river clean up event. Sticking to our usual format, please read below for all the details on how you can help. Several locations have been  outlined below and covers the eastern corridor of the Swan River, parks and foreshores.

You can do as short or as long as you like however we have limited the time to finish within 3 hours. Please note you are not expected to spend three hours participating – do what you can! The locations below are just suggestions so if you’d like to start somewhere else please do. Kayakers, walkers and dogs are all very much needed where stand up paddlers can’t access.

We are very lucky to have the crew from Keep Australia Beautiful on board again who will be sorting and cataloguing rubbish collected. If possible, we’d like rubbish collected to be brought to Garvey Park for sorting. If you have items that cannot easily be transported please take a photo or post a list of what you have collected so we can add your catch to the master data list.

Paddle board hire for experienced paddlers will be available from 2 locations. Boards will be equipped with bags, gloves and other implements to assist with rubbish collection. Board hirers must start at 8.00 am.

• Sandy Beach Reserve, Bassendean (end of West Road)
• Garvey Park, Ascot (end of Fauntleroy Ave)

Details

Date: Sunday 18^th April 2021

Timeline:

• 8.00 am: Meet at Sandy Beach Reserve, Bassendean or Garvey Park for a briefing of the morning. OR/ start from your chosen location. If you are hiring a board, then you must start from Sandy Beach Reserve or Garvey Park.
• 11.00 am – 1.00 pm: Sort rubbish into piles for recycling or disposal at Garvey Park. Crew from Keep Australia Beautiful will be managing this for us.
• 11.00 – 1.00 pm Finish for a social gathering and free sausage sizzle for the hungry volunteers.
• We’ll have bags and gloves available on the day if required.

Safety

• Wear something high Vis if possible.
• Wear booties for your feet if tramping through vegetation/ river banks etc
• Buddy up if you are a beginner paddler. Working in pairs can make it easier to pick up rubbish from hard to get places.
• Wear gloves
• Be mindful of sharp objects
• Paddle on the Starboard side (land closest to your right side)
• Remain on your knees in the shallows. Don’t over reach and compromise your balance
• Be aware of other watercraft and boat wakes
• Wear sun protection
• Walkers please wear covered shoes
• Hydrate
• Take phone in water proof bag in the event of an emergency. Available for purchase from us.
• The event will be cancelled if not safe due to extreme weather conditions but not if light rain is forecast.
• This is a social community event. Your safety is your responsibility so please be mindful

Here’s what we’d LOVE you to do on the day!

• Choose the location you’d like to start from. Hook up with a buddy.
• Check in to the events page and post a photo of the rubbish you have collected. We want to create as much awareness as possible.
• Take your time, some areas may have more rubbish than others so don’t feel you have to rush to cover distance. Only do what you feel comfortable doing.
• Check the edges of the river bank and beaches which means you may have to step onto land or paddle close to the shore. Rubbish will accumulate here.
• Look for the small things like fish hooks, bottle tops etc. If you find a penny pick it up….
• If you come across fishing line that is too tangled to release, take a photo and note the location so we can report it to the relevant authorities.
• If possible, bring your rubbish to Garvey Park so we can sort into piles for cataloguing, recycling and disposal.
• Meet us at Garvey Park for a social gathering from 1.00 pm and free Sausage sizzle for the volunteers

Suggested Launch Locations

The launch locations are suggestions only so feel free to start somewhere else if you prefer. This stretch covers about 8kms from Point Reserve, Bassendean to the Cove East Perth. There is no pressure on anyone to cover a long distance. Take note of the comments about some of the locations just in case this affects you.

• Sandy Beach Reserve, Bassendean (End of West Road)
• Banks Reserve, Mount Lawley (Joel Terrace) – Can be windy. Open section of water
• Maylands Yacht Club (end of Fourth Ave). Hot Spot for rubbish
• Johnson Road, Maylands – Tranby Tea House located here
• Riverside Gardens, Bayswater (Milne Street) (Garratt Road Bridge) – Can be windy.
• Claughton Reserve, Bayswater (End of Katanning Street). Popular fishing spot.
• Garvey Park, Ascot (End of Fauntleroy Avenue). Meeting point after event.
• Point Reserve, Bassendean (North Road, Bassendean)
• Parks and foreshore beaches at all the locations mentioned above. For walkers.

Hot spots near the river include under bridges, café locations, sports and recreation clubs, fishing spots, playgrounds, ablution blocks, along fences, carparks, foot/cycle paths. All rubbish in these areas have the potential to end up in our rivers and estuaries.

To hire a board please contact Maree via email to suptonic@gmail.com and you will be given account details to pay for board. Cost is $20.00 for duration of event and free paddling afterwards at Garvey Park. Please note the cost contributes to providing sausage sizzle, fruit and other misc costs. We run at a loss to host this event.

For further information contact SUP Tonic 0499 973 995.