By Mikayla van Loon
The Montrose annual Clean Up Australia Day event is returning to the town next week, encouraging people of all ages to look after their natural surroundings.
Montrose Township Group member and organiser Joanna Carland has led the clean up for many years now and will be hosting the 2023 event on Sunday 5 March, lining up with the nationwide day.
Living in such a beautiful part of the Yarra Ranges for 12 years now, surrounded by dense forest, creek systems and native wildlife, Joanna said organising the clean up came from a place of frustration initially.
“Rubbish is a constant thing every community is trying to deal with but it really annoys me to see rubbish lying around,” she said.
“So my own frustration sparked a passion to look after the environment.”
Usually drawing quite the crowd of volunteers, Joanna said it is a fun, family friendly event for the community to take part in and do their bit for the environment.
“Around 30 people come along with their families and they have a bit of an adventure exploring the parks, streets and creeks in Montrose,” she said.
“They might walk down streets they’ve never seen before, so they get to know their neighbourhood too.”
For the most part though, taking part in Clean Up Australia Day is about caring for and keeping Montrose pristine.
“It’s about creating awareness in our town and keeping Montrose clean and green.
“It’s a great opportunity for people to come together and feel connected. People see what we’re doing and want to help keep Montrose beautiful.”
Joanna said once the day is over, there is always a great sense of accomplishment felt by the people who have taken part and hopefully that carries over to encourage them to continue removing rubbish from their home.
There will also be a hidden golden ticket to be found for any children who attend, leading to a prize at the end.
This year’s event will get underway at 9.30am, running until 11.30am. Attendees can meet at the Montrose Town Centre to collect gloves, rubbish bags and a map of the clean up areas.
