Krisiga Krishnarajah & Whadia Khwaja: 07-24-2025

This week, I joined Friends of Humber Bay Park for their mid-summer shoreline cleanup, with Swim Drink Fish attending in a support role. It was my first time participating in a cleanup like this, and while I was mostly there to support my coworker Whadia and help with tabling, I also had the chance to roll up my sleeves and take part in the cleanup myself.

The event was centred around collecting litter along the park’s shoreline, and I spent most of my time focusing on small pieces of trash, especially cigarette butts, which were everywhere. It was disheartening to see just how many cigarette butts were buried in the sand and scattered across the shore. Friends of Humber Bay Park and Swim Drink Fish provided trash bags, gloves, and litter pickers, and it was great to see so many volunteers of all ages come out with a shared interest in keeping the park clean.

Although the cleanup was the main focus, Swim Drink Fish also offered a small demo on how our team collects water samples for testing. It gave us a chance to talk about our Community-Based Water Monitoring program and the Swim Guide, helping to explain how we assess whether the lake is safe for swimming. I appreciated the opportunity to listen in on Whadia’s explanation and also hear people’s questions and see how curious and engaged the community was.

Whadia answering questions about how Swim Drink Fish samples water

This was a chance to step outside of the digital tools I usually work on behind a screen and see our outreach in a real, tangible way. I’m grateful I got to be part of the experience and witness firsthand how local action and care can spark meaningful conversations about water protection, all set against a beautiful view of the Toronto skyline.

Toronto skyline from Humber Bay Park West