Big clean up underway for Otepuni Stream
Friday 14 September 2007, 4:07PM
By Invercargill City Council
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The Invercargill Youth Council and the YMCA Enviro Crew will be finding out just how clean Invercargill is tomorrow (Saturday 15 September) when they take part in a organised clean up of the Otepuni Stream as part of Keep New Zealand Beautiful Clean Up Week.
Invercargill City Council Community Development Officer Mary Napper said the Youth Council clean up project was a positive way for youth to take responsibility and help keep their city beautiful.
“This is also chance for members of the Youth Council and the Enviro Crew to be positive role models for their peers and to show that young people do care about the environment,” Ms Napper said.
The clean up will be held on Saturday 15 September from 10am to 12 noon (low tide) at the Otepuni Stream from Waihopai River to the Otepuni Gardens.
Invercargill City Council Waste Minimisation Officer Donna Peterson approached the Youth Council earlier in the year about taking part in Keep New Zealand Beautiful Clean Up Week and was impressed with their enthusiasm and willingness to get involved.
“We decided to clean up the Otepuni Stream area because rubbish from the city ends up flowing down the steam and out into the Waihopai River,” Ms Peterson said.
Environment Southland staff will also be involved in the Youth Council clean up project.
Environment Southland Environmental Education Officer Sally Edgerton said staff would be on hand to assist and ensure that ecosystem inhabitants were not harmed.
“Rubbish in our waterways is unsightly and is harmful to all the stream inhabitants.
Fish and birds in the Otepuni River can swallow small items, causing death.
Ms Edgerton said another concern was that litter in waterways ended up in coastal marine environments, where many more special marine species were affected.