Along the shores of Black Bank Beach, it will not go unnoticed the positive environmental impact one woman has made in her community. Nancy Pearson of St. George’s, Newfoundland continues to dedicate her time to raise awareness of the ocean pollution across our province, simply by taking a bag on her daily walk! She first noticed the excessive pollution, both being dumped and washing up on the beach, when she would venture out with the family dog, Pixel. Wanting to involve her community in her efforts, she planned a Black Bank clean up in 2017 which became an annual event due to the positive feedback she received. Nancy decided that she wanted to bring awareness to a larger audience, so she created her Instagram account “@abagawalk” which promotes picking up a bag of garbage every time you are out for a walk. Her account has quickly gained global popularity, amassing hundreds of followers from all over the world. To encourage participation, Nancy introduced giveaways for followers to enter. Followers would submit photos of themselves with a bag of garbage they picked up from their walk, entering them into the monthly giveaway. These giveaways allowed Nancy to reach a broader audience, with giveaway winners from far and wide, including Turkey, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Nancy’s goal is to recruit as many people as she can to join the movement to end polluting of the oceans and encourage the cleaning of waste in our natural environments. The easiest way to join the movement is to start going for walks and bringing along a bag to pick up any garbage you come across. Social media is a great platform for spreading awareness on important issues, including the fight against pollution. Anyone who picks up garbage on their walks are welcome to submit an entry to “@abagawalk”, where your photo can be posted and help promote the cause while inspiring others to take part as well. In addition, your name will be entered into a draw, where you can win prizes such as reusable face masks, bracelets, and hair scrunchies, all of which are handmade by Nancy. If you wish to share your photos to your personal social media accounts, especially those on Instagram, Nancy encourages anyone to tag @abagawalk for her to reshare it with her followers!
https://www.instagram.com/abagawalk/
Participating in this movement not only has a great impact on environment, but also to our health! It has been proven that being outdoors in nature can significantly reduce the effects of some mental illnesses, including anxiety and depression. Walking is also a great form of exercise, which can improve your cardiovascular health, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Since COVID-19 is still very prominent in all our lives, it is more important now than ever that we take time out of our day to get outside and exercise. Overall, combining both daily walks and picking up waste will not only help improve your health, but it will also leave you feeling accomplished as you make a noticeable difference in your community, our beaches, and oceans that can continue to be enjoyed for years to come!
Written by Jameson Pearson