Students, staff, and faculty ready to pitch in to protect Niagara’s waterways
This Friday, members of the University of Niagara Falls Canada community will trade classrooms and offices for gloves and garbage bags as the university hosts a downtown clean-up event to celebrate its new partnership with SEA LIFE TRUST, a global organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans and marine life.
The UNF x SEA LIFE - Queen Street Community Clean-Up runs July 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will see students, faculty, and staff volunteer their time to tidy up the neighbourhood surrounding campus in the heart of downtown Niagara Falls.
The event will also serve as a pilot for a new UNF-made digital tracking system, led by Professor William Pourmajidi and Hassan Baz Chamas, Associate Dean of the Master of Computer Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence and Master of Data Analytics programs, that allows them to collect metrics from clean-up events, such as total weight of garbage collected and how many full garbage bags there were, as well as the number of volunteers who participated. The system will be used on Friday, and if all goes well it could be used for future clean-up events.
While SEA LIFE TRUST’s mission centres on ocean conservation, Felicia Werner, UNF’s Executive Director of Community and Alumni Engagement, says the connection to UNF’s own backyard is impossible to ignore. As a university located just steps away from the Niagara River, protecting local waterways is central to UNF’s environmental commitments, and that responsibility extends well beyond the riverbank.
“Water from the Niagara River eventually makes its way to the Atlantic Ocean, flowing first into Lake Ontario before entering the St. Lawrence River,” said Werner, adding that litter from the streets often makes its way to the river. “It’s a powerful reminder that what happens here, in our own community, can have a ripple effect far beyond it. Keeping the Niagara River and the Great Lakes healthy is part of protecting the same waters SEA LIFE TRUST works to preserve around the globe.”
Volunteers can sign up for one-hour time slots throughout the day, making it easy to fit the event into a busy schedule. UNF is providing all necessary PPE and clean-up supplies, so participants simply need to show up ready to help.
To keep spirits high, and add a little friendly competition, prizes will be awarded for the most filled garbage bags collected and the single heaviest bag, giving volunteers extra incentive to dig in.
The event is expected to be the first of several joint initiatives focused on environmental stewardship, both locally and globally.
