Photo: Contributed

A section of shore along Okanagan Lake is a little cleaner, thanks to the efforts of a handful of volunteers.

Today is World Oceans Day, and while there are no specific events planned in the Okanagan, volunteers gave up part of their Sunday to make the local body of water a little nicer.

Debbie White of World Oceans Day Canada – a group that started in Kelowna in 2009 – said the area around the bridge yielded several bags of garbage.

White said three bags of plastics made up of packing strapping, takeout cups, straws, snack wrappers, plastic bags, plastic packing materials and cigarette butts were cleaned up “just in time to clear the way for a mamma duck and her eight tiny ducklings.”

“Volunteers also cleaned up nine buckets of styrofoam pieces near the Kelowna Marina and the boat rental on Sunday at City Park. The pieces ranged from half to one centimetre, with a few larger larger pieces with takeout food names on them,” said White.

“The likely source of the styrofoam is takeout drink cups, styrofoam coolers, packing materials and possibly life rings and/or boat bumpers.”

Earlier, volunteers retrieved styrofoam filling several large bags at Stuart Park.

“Fish eat these pieces of styrofoam, as do birds. Humans eat the fish,” said White, adding some of the pollutants in area lakes find their way into the ocean, which is becoming clogged with garbage.