Join an Ocean Wise Spring Cleanup
Host a Shoreline Cleanup
Can't make one of our events? Lead a cleanup in your community.
Ocean Wise is hosting a series of shoreline cleanups this spring in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal and we want YOU to join us!
Good news! Ocean Wise is hosting a series of shoreline cleanups this spring in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal and we want YOU to join us. Join us for a cleanup or register your own!
- March 25: Sunset Beach, Vancouver. Join us for an early celebration of Earth Hour. Register here: Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup
- April 22: Woodbine Beach, Toronto. Join us to celebrate Earth Day and citizen science month. Register here: Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup
- May 20: Champion Park, Montreal. Join us to wrap up our spring cleanup series. Register here: Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup
Can’t make it? Don’t fret. You can always lead your own cleanup on your local shoreline by heading to ShorelineCleanup.org.
Since 1994
30,542
Shoreline cleanups have been hosted
1,000,000
Volunteers have joined in
2,100,000
Kilograms of trash has been collected
In 1994, employees and volunteers at the Vancouver Aquarium decided to clean up a beach in Stanley Park to protect the city’s shorelines. From that first cleanup, the program expanded across British Columbia and by 1997, 400 volunteers were participating in the Great BC Beach Cleanup at 20 sites.
From there the program grew into a national conservation initiative called the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, a partnership with WWF Canada. In 2002 and cleanups started appearing in every province and territory. By 2003, more than 20,000 volunteers were taking part. Public support grew as Canadians became more aware of the harmful effects of shoreline litter on ecosystems, wildlife and people.
In 2021 shoreline cleanups expanded outside of Canada, launching in California and Texas. To reflect this new scope Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanups became the Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup with a goal of getting 1,000,000 more volunteers out in their own communities by 2026!
