.....i'm awonderin if the folks over at Algonquin Adventures might be interested in hearing about next year's plans?
www.algonquinadventures.com

I am extremely proud to announce that the one and only Kevin Callan and I are organizing a volunteer clean-up weekend for next spring. The event will take place on the weekend of May 12 & 13, 2007 (Mother's Day weekend), hopefully between ice break-up and bugs.

***Please remember that temperatures at that time of year can still be fairly chilly at times, and the water temperature is a risk for quick hypothermia if you tip over in your canoe. All volunteers will be taking part at their own risk. Always wear your PFD and be ever so careful!!!!***

Our clean-up efforts will be reaching out to all of North America!!!

Kevin has arranged to have a celebration after the event at Sir Sandford Fleming College of Environmental Sciences in Lindsay, Ontario, with prizes for such things as the biggest group, the most garbage, the longest portage cleared, etc... There are also plans for a BBQ!

Kevin is also planning on promoting the event through the media.

There will be a computer link-up at Sir Sandford Fleming College (who will be forming their own volunteer group for the clean-up) for those groups across North America who are not able to attend at the venue so that they may send photos and information about their own particular clean-up accomplishments. There are plans to use this link-up with a poser projector to show the audience, across North America, who's winning. Prizes will be mailed out later. Laurie March aka ******* has very generously offered her talents as a web designer to donate a web site for this clean-up. I look forward to viewing the results, thanks Laurie!!!


The following are some of the basics of the plan:

1. Volunteers across North America will form their own groups, with a leader for each group, and choose their own areas to do a clean-up (for those who are aware, basically what I did for Algonquin Park). Group size can range anywhere from a group of friends going for a weekend adventure to help out, to a large scale group such as I did for Algonquin Park, where I had 65 or so volunteers. The bigger, the better. Remember, there will be a prize for the biggest group.

2. Each group will choose a name for themselves (maybe get yourselves T-shirts or something).

3. If any leader/group chooses a park where permits, fees and reservations are required, the leader of each group will be responsible for making arrangements (maybe try for waived fees as I had for Algonquin?). Kevin can put info for the Superintendents of each park (within Ontario) on the web site Laurie will be designing. Keep in mind, also, that you can help out in other areas outside the parks. Efforts may include canoeing, backpacking & hiking, camping, etc...basically anywhere that people like to go to enjoy the wilderness.

4. If any groups choose to head out earlier than Saturday or come back later than the finish time on Sunday (not determined yet), then each group will be responsible for making those arrangements.

5. Kevin and I are also planning on doing a little of our own paddling for the event; our current intended area is somewhere in the Kawarthas, Ontario.


Please remember that these are some of the initial and basic plans; there's still much to plan and work out.

Start getting your groups together! I hope you can all join in!!!!

I'm SO very excited about this!!!

"The first great gift we can bestow on others is a good example.” - Thomas Morell