Annual Mayne Island Beach Cleanup – Report for 2025
Depot sorting crew L-R: Robert Anthony, Joanne and Joel Collier, and Byron Dyck. Not pictured: Grant Buday and Lisa Siddons 
Bryron and Joanne help unload the Bennet Bay haul with captain Mike Nadeau. 
Devin and D.A. Smart in the canoe they transported, along with other garbage from Oyster, Reef, and David Cove beaches (Irene and Nigel Barrett, team captains). 
Captain Kim with gas tank from Piggot and Gallagher Bay. Joel, John, and Andrew unloading a large rope. 
Campbell Bay captain Hannah with their haul. 
Campbell Bay Largest Crew award. 
Campbell Bay crew. 
Nicest Item – Lindor eggs in a sealed plastic shell, found by the Village Bay crew (Linda J. captain). 
Picking a shell (kids participation award) 
Picking a shell (kids participation award) 
Justine presents the weirdest item award to Carly McWilliams, captain of the Lighthouse/Maude Bay team
This year’s cleanup had good weather, and a large crew of eager volunteers turned out. In total, 145 volunteers scoured the beaches for refuse, while five helped unload and sort at the recycling depot, and more helped out at the post-cleanup barbeque.
Ten beaches were cleared of debris by captained teams (including the Mayne School), while two individuals cleaned beaches fronting their own property, and one cleaned a small island. Of course countless hours were put into removing marine debris over the course of the year by locals and visitors who picked it up while enjoying our beaches. A big thank you to everyone for making Mayne Island even more beautiful, and for making this annual event such a success!
Trending in the Right Direction
For the past three years, we have recycled as much of the collected material as possible. The table below shows some positive trends: the amount of debris collected is trending down, while the percentage recycled is going up.
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
| Litres Collected | 8,303 | 9,045 | 10,060 |
| % Recycled | 76% | 72% | 70% |
Party and Prizes
For the second year, the Conservancy hosted a post-cleanup BBQ. This was a well-attended event at the Ag Hall. Prize winners were as follows:
Largest crew: A Campbell Bay crew of 31! (Hannah Epperson, captain). Prizes were Mayne Island Bird books and photo cards.
Weirdest item found: A floating fish holder (?) by the Lighthouse/Maude Bay team (Carly McWilliams, captain). Prize was a SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island map.
Nicest item found: A sealed plastic Easter egg with intact chocolate eggs inside it by the Village Bay crew (Linda Jones captain). Prize was a SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island map.
Most interesting natural item found: Small bone by Emme on the Campbell Bay crew. Prize was a package of owl stickers.
Kid’s participation award: The Campbell Bay team included 12 kids. Prize was “pick your own sea shell from the box” (very popular!)
Thank You to Our Partners
The beach cleanup is co-sponsored by the Mayne Island Recycling Society and the Mayne Island Conservancy.
Recycling of collected material is made possible by the generous donation of a driver and truck by Mayne Island Building Centre Freight to haul cleanup material to the Ocean Legacy Foundation warehouse in Richmond. Ocean Legacy are specialists in recycling marine debris like plastic, Styrofoam, and tires. They generously accept community beach cleanup materials free of charge.
Thanks also to Tru-Value Foods for points used to purchase BBQ food for over 50 attendees!
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