GEOFFREY CARPENTIER,
The Standard
I am honoured to be part of the Leadership Team at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, in Uxbridge.
Life is complicated, and when some form of relief can be found, in individual ways, the peace it brings can be profound. I know, prayer and community bring the parishioners of St. Paul’s together, but that same community does much more. Beyond helping the homeless in Uxbridge, celebrating Canada’s indigenous heritage and providing relief to the needy at food banks and soup kitchens, St. Paul’s also has formed a Green Team, to help us honour the environment and do what we can to help keep it safe.
Our team is in its infancy but the efforts and enthusiasm far exceed our longevity. From encouraging pollinators and a celebration of all things living, we do what we can and we are not afraid to get our hands dirty!
This past weekend, the team and I got together for our inaugural litter clean-up, along Hwy 47, east of Nelkydd Drive in Uxbridge. Six large bags of litter were collected along this modest route by six of the team members. The bottles and cans will be sorted for recycling and the balance disposed of.
St. Paul’s recently adopted this stretch of road, through a litter clean-up project, supported by the Region of Durham. We encourage other groups and individuals to do likewise. Maybe those who toss their litter out the car window will see their actions cause harm to the environment, and they will think twice and take their litter home. Thank-you to St. Paul’s and all those other caring individuals in our community who tirelessly take action to keep our community and environment clean.
Geoff Carpentier is a published author, expedition guide and environmental consultant. Visit Geoff on-line on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.