Turtle pond cleanup
We waded into the turtle pond near the West End Community Centre to pull out two bikes, a child carrier, a shopping cart, and a comforter the turtles were using as a basking platform. Painted turtles need clean, warm surfaces to thermoregulate — a waterlogged comforter leaching synthetic fibres into a shallow pond is about as far from ideal habitat as you can get.
In total: 57 kg of debris removed, 15 items recycled (10 cans, 5 bottles). We returned the shopping cart to the grocery store and dropped the bikes and child carrier to a metal recycling facility.
Submerged bikes aren’t just an eyesore — frames, paint, and rubber tires all leach contaminants into the shallow, warm-water habitat that turtles, amphibians, invertebrates, and juvenile fish depend on most.
Cleaning up part of this habitat was hard work, but every bit of debris removed from the water makes a real difference to the animals living in these waters.
Notable Finds
Two submerged bikes, one shopping cart; Recyclables: 10 cans, 5 bottles
Wildlife Observed
Painted Turtle