Nettoyage des rivages Ocean Wise

In 1994, employees and volunteers at the Vancouver Aquarium decided to clean up a beach in Stanley Park to protect the city’s shorelines. From that first cleanup, the program expanded across British Columbia and by 1997, 400 volunteers were participating in the Great BC Beach Cleanup at 20 sites.

The program became a national conservation initiative in 2002 when we partnered with WWF Canada and cleanups started appearing in every province and territory as the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. By 2003, more than 20,000 volunteers were taking part every year. Public support grew as Canadians became more aware of the harmful effects of shoreline litter on ecosystems, wildlife and people.

In 2017, the Vancouver Aquarium expanded to become Ocean Wise, a global conservation organization focused on protecting and restoring our world's ocean and in 2020 Ocean Wise sold the aquarium. Now, one of several conservation programs of Ocean Wise, the Shoreline Cleanup has grown into one of the largest direct action conservation programs in Canada...and has expanded into the United States. In 2020 Ocean Wise hosted its first Shoreline Cleanup in California, paving the way for future international growth.

In addition to cleaning our shorelines and connecting people with nature the Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanups collect powerful data that helps address waste at its source. By joining us in your community you can make a difference close to home and around the globe.