York University staff, faculty and students are invited to take part in the annual 20-Minute Campus Clean Up on Friday, May 10 at 2 p.m. The new date replaces the original Earth Week event planned for April 26, which was cancelled due to poor weather.
Every year York U community members come together to tidy key areas on the Keele and Glendon Campuses where trash and other unwanted debris have gathered during the winter. Join friends and colleagues and pitch in to give the University a bit of “spit and polish” as we head into the spring season.
The highlighted areas on the map show the designated campus clean up locations and meeting points
There are several designated areas for the Campus Clean Up. To find a location, refer to the Campus Clean Up Map and pick a location that is convenient for you or your group. Volunteers should meet at the designated meeting spots at 2 p.m. to pick up gloves and a bag. The areas highlighted on the map show the locations of the campus clean up.
At Glendon, community members are asked to meet outside Glendon Hall Manor at 2 p.m.
At the Keele campus, the meeting spots are:
- Tait-McKenzie Centre
- The Arboretum between Health Nursing & Environmental Studies and Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence
- Boyer Woodlot
- Kaneff Tower*
- Danby Woods across from the Physical Resources Building
- Student Services Parking Garage South Entrance for the Boynton Woods
*The group outside the Kaneff Tower will be focusing on cleaning the cigarette butts in the Harry Arthurs Common.
Campus Clean Up competition
Teams can submit photos or videos to compete for prizes in the following categories:
- Largest team,
- Most interesting item found,
- Best before and after pictures,
- Best Campus Clean Up Day selfie or video.
Register your Campus Clean Up team in advance by e-mailing sustainability@yorku.ca.
You can also enter the contest by e-mailing us your contest photos or videos or tweeting them to @YUSustain.
Safety tips
Remember the following safety tips:
- Wear appropriate and protective clothing (boots, gloves etc.);
- wear a hat or sunscreen if necessary;
- pick up litter in your gloved hand and carry the trash bag in the other;
- do not pick up strange articles that may be dangerous;
- don’t pick up anything that looks sharp (e.g. broken bottles or needles);
- do not take any risks attempting to reach litter in hard-to-get-to places (up a tree, down a steep incline, in rapidly flowing water, on slippery surfaces etc.); and,
- finally, remember to stick to the pathways, landscaped areas and the periphery of the woodlots. Walking through the wooded areas could adversely affect the plants and animals living there.