Thank you to everyone who participated in our Centennial Park Clean-Up! This event provided a wonderful opportunity for like-minded individuals to connect, make a tangible positive impact on the community, and gain valuable volunteer hours. Centennial Park, spanning 526 acres, is one of Toronto's largest public parks, attracting approximately 1.5 million visitors annually. Volunteer cleanups are crucial as they help protect the environment and provide clean spaces that benefit both people and aquatic life, particularly given the park's popularity for fishing.

The need for such cleanups is underscored by severe environmental concerns. Littering alone costs the city up to $250,000 annually. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant surge in litter in Toronto parks, seriously affecting the park's wildlife and plant life. More broadly, each person in Ontario produces about one tonne of waste annually, with approximately 10,000 tonnes of plastic entering Ontario’s lakes and rivers every year. Alarmingly, some areas of the Great Lakes now contain more microplastics than oceans, which can then transfer from aquatic animals to humans. Furthermore, Ontario’s solid waste emits 3.4 million tonnes of CO₂, exacerbating global warming.

Through this impactful clean-up event, Human Nature Projects successfully gathered over 150 dedicated volunteers and had more than 30 executives present, who collectively removed over 25 bags of trash, demonstrating a strong commitment to combating pollution and fostering a healthier environment.