Join us this Earth Day for a clean-up in partnership with Don't Mess with The Don! DMWTD does incredible work throughout the year, clearing vast amounts of trash from the area. This will be their biggest clean-up of the year where we'll help them clear thousands of pounds of trash.

There'll be snacks, drinks and prizes as well as the warm glow of helping clean up our city.

We're picking you up from both Union and Keele this week.

We're partnering with Don't Mess With the Don,  a volunteer-led charity organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the natural heritage of the Don Valley and Toronto ravines. They'll be kitting us out with garbage bags once we get there. There won't be any crazy hiking involved but prepare to work as we clear away huge quantities of rubbish.

‍09:00 - Those leaving from Keele meet at the PetroCanada by Keele Station

09:10: Shuttle leaves from PetroCanada at Keele Station. Please note that we leave dead on 9:10am and can't wait for latecomers.

09:15 - Second pick up from Union Station. We're in Grasshopper, the big red van and will pull in at the main Front Street entrance opposite the entrance to the Fairmont Hotel.

09:20 - We leave from Union Station. Please note that we leave dead on time and can't wait for latecomers!

09:45: Meet at this parking lot at ErnestThomas Seton Park. It's accessible by public transport and city bike! Look out for our big red van if you're meeting us there or ping on Discord

10:00-12:00 - Clean-up

12:00-13:00 - Eat and hang out

13:30 - Drop off exclusively at Keele Station

• Dress for any weather condition (we are on rain or shine). Long pants and shirt highly recommended.
• Gardening Gloves or similar (if you have them). We do have gloves at the event but sometimes they can be in short supply so we ask volunteers if they have gloves to bring them.
• Eyewear (optional). Just for added protection around shrubs etc. Glasses or sunglasses are ok.
• Sunscreen

It looks like there'll be some food served there at 12 but you may want to bring snacks to sustain you

• Watch out for bikers!
• Follow instructions from staff on site about what to pick up and what not to
• Watch out for sharps - glasses, syringes etc
• There may be ticks in the area so make sure you carry out a full tick check after the event

We like to share some of the indigenous background of the areas we visit because these territories have rich histories that are easy to overlook. Indigenous communities have a connection to and respect for the land that has largely been lost since European settlement. As we strive to form a deeper connection with the land, we have much to learn from these communities. You can use the Native Land map to learn more about these areas.

Toronto has a particularly long and varied indigenous history, groups who maintain connections to the land include:

1. The Anishinaabe: This includes the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Algonquin peoples. They have lived in the region for centuries and continue to have a presence in the area.
2. The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy: This includes the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations. They have historical connections to the land around Toronto.
3. The Huron-Wendat: They were once the primary inhabitants of the Toronto area before being displaced by European colonization and other Indigenous groups. The Huron-Wendat nation now resides in Wendake, Quebec, but maintains a historical connection to Toronto.
4. The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation: This is a Mississauga Ojibwe First Nation located near Brantford, Ontario. They have treaty rights and historical connections to the land that is now the city of Toronto.
5. The Métis: The Métis people, who are of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry, also have connections to the region.