Harte Trail needs residents to clean it up

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/05/2020 (1991 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

People using the Harte Trail in Charleswood are asked to ‘plalk’ or pick up litter as they walk.
Friends of the Harte Trail, a non-profit organization that takes care of the seven kilometre trail, put a call out on their blog, asking residents to plalk.

The organization’s members usually hold a spring cleanup, where 10 to 50 volunteers and residents walk along the trail wearing gloves and carrying garbage bags. Due to COVID-19 and the physical distancing rules in place, the annual cleanup has been put on hold.

Phil Jenkinson, Friends of the Harte Trail president, said residents have been very eager to help.

“People are very keen to help. I’ve seen (residents) around, a lot of members have seen (people) out with bags, picking stuff up,” Jenkinson said. “What did we accomplish with that? We haven’t heard anything back from them. If folks could reach out to us and let us know what they’ve done, that would be very helpful.”

Jenkinson is hoping residents can send him pictures of what they’ve picked up, as well as letting the organization know which trails they have cleaned and when. He added that many members of the Friends are still walking the trail, picking up what they can, but they want to get a better sense of what areas have already been taken care of by other volunteers.

According to Jenkinson, the organization has started surveying the trail, tallying how many people are using it, among other things. While they don’t have any firm numbers yet, anecdotally, Jenkinson said the trail has seen “over a 100 per cent increase” in activity.
The Friends are still taking care of larger items such as a couch and some construction debris left on the trail two weeks ago.

Residents of Charleswood appreciate the effort to keep the trail clean.

Cindy Sallans, a Charleswood resident, takes her dog Echo along the trail for her daily walk. She said the trail has been pretty clean so far.

“You can tell when some kids came through and left a mess, sometimes there’s construction (debris) … but so far it’s been good,” Sallans said. “I do see people picking up (garbage), I’ll pick some stuff up if I see it’s pretty bad. Especially because the garbage cans (are) there and they’re emptied regularly. You don’t feel bad about using it.”

Sallans added that the more garbage cans along the trail, the more people will clean up. She’s lived in Charleswood for three years and said the trail has always been well maintained.
Jenkinson said they rely on volunteers to keep the trail clean.

“We’re all volunteers here. It’s not a private spot, it’s the City’s. It’s important that we take care of it,” Jenkinson said. “When people see a clean space, with no litter … they’re prone to not continue littering. That’s what we’re going for.”

Jenkinson is encouraging volunteers to go off the paths a bit, as more litter is being blown into trees and grass 10 to 15 feet out from the trails.

The organization is also trying to reorganize their spring tree plant. The plant usually happens on International Trails Day in June, with many volunteers and residents stepping up to make it happen. This year, the organization was going to plant trees along the path to Dale Street, eventually leading to the Perimeter Highway.

Jenkinson said they’re trying to find a way to plant trees this year while maintaining physical distancing requirements.

The organization needs volunteers and donations. For more information, visit hartetrail.com