Trash Bash to spruce up Short Hills park

Short Hills Park is a local gem that all of Niagara should appreciate and shouldn’t be a dumping ground for garbage.

This is a message being stressed by organizers of an Earth Day cleanup that will tackle an unwanted mess in the area of the provincial park.

Anne Kubu, chair of the Friends of Short Hills Park, says the amount of litter seen in recent years is shocking and disturbing and that this year’s Trash Bash will set out to alleviate some of the mess.

Mattresses, roofing tiles, bags of used diapers, computers and countless coffee cups — there is an endless list of items that have been littered in and around the park.

“It’s very upsetting — people think it’s perfectly fine to clean out their car while driving around,” says Kubu.

“We’ve found everything.” Although the entire site is always on the group’s radar, Kubu said the cleanup on April 21 will mostly target the outer perimeter of the park.

A call is being sent out for volunteers who wish to participate in the initiative. Kubu says she hopes as many people as possible will come out.

A great opportunity for local students to earn community service hours, she hopes many will take advantage of the upcoming event in a few weeks — but did warn that it may only be suitable for older youth and teens.

“We don’t want a lot of young children because we’ll be along the roadways in most cases,” she says.

Kubu says it’s very unfortunate that people don’t think twice about disposing of their trash at the property and its surrounding area.

“Because of its remoteness, Short Hills is often targeted,” she says.

The gathering is being featured and promoted through the Escarpment Project, a program created by an individual in Hamilton who recognized the need for an effort to tidy up the many waterfalls in that city. Kubu says this partnership will gain the action planned for April 21 for attention and exposure from outside Niagara, hopefully bringing in a fair share of volunteer participants.

Short Hills Provincial Park is 735 hectares of Carolinian forest that spans through St. Catharines, Pelham and Thorold, serving as a popular place for many outdoor activities.

The Trash Bash will take place 9 a.m. to noon. People taking part are asked to meet at a staging area at the bottom of First Street Louth and Decew Road before it starts.

Anyone looking for more information can contact Kubu at shorthillspark@gmail.com.