The 2023 World Water Day slogan is Be The Change.
And Vernon’s Allan Brooks Nature Centre, along with the Regional District of North Okanagan, is heeding the call.
The two North Okanagan groups will do that very thing when staff, volunteers, and community members descend on Kal Beach March 22 to make a local difference. The prescription for the day: Clean up the shoreline to help improve water quality.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 22 as World Water Day to bring attention to the importance of clean water for everyone. With the exception of summer water restrictions, the Okanagan Valley has never experienced a lack of clean water.
With global warming, says the nature centre, some scientists believe a global water crisis is only a few years away. Currently, about two billion people cannot access clean water.
For this reason, ABNC and the RDNO are hosting the clean-up.
“World Water Day is an opportunity to be grateful for the water that we are surrounded by,” said RDNO water conservation - utilities assistant Rachelle Demetrick. “Water accessibility is not something to be taken for granted, so on World Water Day we should consider how we can make a difference in how we use water and maintain the environment it comes from.”
Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22, the groups will be at Kal Beach to remove contaminants from the area and provide information on what people can do to improve our water conservation and quality. Coffee and light refreshments will be available. Single-use cups will not be provided.
“Water is a precious, perishable, and fragile resource that is easily threatened,” said Allan Brooks manager Cheryl Hood. “Getting out and cleaning near lakes, streams and other water sources is an easy way to do our part. Everything on this planet depends on clean water and we need to pay attention before it’s too late.
“World Water Day is about understanding that taking care of our water also takes care of our world.”
To register, go online to RDNO World Water Day.
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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