I offer a huge thank you to all of the residents who helped during Pitch-In Week. It was quite the mix of businesses, associations and residents who hauled garbage out from the ditches at the sides of the road or along our creeks.

In upper Stoney Creek, Friends of the Eramosa Karst scoured the karst feeder area and filled dozens of bags with plastic bags, take-out containers, newspapers, old election signs, plastic bottles, busted up blue boxes, etc. When they were done there was a veritable mountain of trash ready for pick up.

I want to publicly thank the following folks not just for their efforts to clean up the Eramosa Karst feeder streams, but also for their continued efforts to save this environmentally sensitive land from development by the Ontario Government. Thank you to Brad Gautreau, Rita Giuletti, Paul Whitty, Karen Priebe, Mary Jane Page, Brian Lenart, Steve Authier, Margaret Reid, and Tom Zietsma.

In lower Stoney Creek, I joined a dedicated group in Battlefield Park. Responding to a call from the Battlefield Optimists, were members Roger Adams, Ted Bryl, Don Hamel, Gerry MacQueen, Kelly Massie, Leon Sauers, Ray Speakman, Bob Tschanz, Len Wade and Jim Wood. We were joined by Cathy Johnston from BMO and Dr. Ed Janack.

I am so grateful for this group of tireless volunteers. We started at the parking lot and fanned out across the park all the way to the edge of the escarpment. We were disgusted at the amount and types of garbage that had been tossed from cars. We found car parts from collisions, an old tire bound with wire, rubber, plastic bottles, cans, garbage bags filled with garbage, carpet pieces, empty fertilizer bags even a round piece of wood that resembled a wagon wheel. In the end, we had two mountains of loaded yellow garbage bags.

This past week reminded me that in Hamilton, we are blessed with so much natural beauty and heritage. Together we can keep these natural areas pristine. Please don't litter!