From 10am on Sunday, about 50 local volunteers met between the Prest Street bridge and Redan Wetlands to clear the waterway and surrounding reserve of rubbish.<\/p>\n
\u201cTypically the things we\u2019ve found the most are plastic bags. They clog the waterways, they clog the plants together, and they\u2019re a real hazard for animals and wildlife.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are trollies lodged into the waterway, and clothing, which means there\u2019s lots of continuous dumping which is really disappointing,\u201d Ms Cain said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s rubbish that\u2019s been here for a long time, but there\u2019s brand new rubbish as well, which is indicative of how much we show disrespect to country.\u201d<\/p>\n The working bee began with a smoking ceremony and stories from Wadawurrung traditional owner and poet, Barry Gilson.<\/p>\n He recited his piece, The Potkorok from Yaramlok<\/em>, about the \u201cmonster from the billabong\u201d who owns the waters.<\/p>\n \u201cYaramlok<\/em> means gum tree in the water, and Yarrowee means fire along the water,\u201d Mr Gilson said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a significant part of a big story that goes way back. People celebrated here, walked along the creek, hunted here, and it was their water food-source for thousands of years.<\/p>\n \u201cA clean-up like this is invaluable. Working together, we\u2019re sharing in a story for the future generations, leading the way, and showing people that we don\u2019t want to live in a tip. We want to beautify the place and get it back to what it was.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Cain is not only a conservation and sustainability advocate, but the CEO of youth-run international development organisation, Oaktree.<\/p>\n Enjoying working and living in Ballarat amongst green spaces like the Yarrowee River Flora and Fauna Reserve, she suggests some simple pollution solutions.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople use this communal space every day. If you\u2019re coming for a walk down here, bring a bag and pick up what you see on your way.<\/p>\n \u201cReject single-use plastic. Bags and straws are having a huge impact on the environment here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cJoin local groups like the Friends of the Yarrowee River, join Clean-Up Australia Day, and plant trees for your birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" IN light of last week\u2019s Survival Day Dawn Ceremony, Shani Cain reflected on January 26 and how her network could best pay their respects to Wadawurrung country and First Nations Peoples. \u201cBecause there were no protests in Ballarat, we wanted a way for people of all ages, ethnicities and community groups to come together and […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballarat\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/02\/DSC_0031-300x200.jpg\")