5th annual Small Planet Cleanup Contest March 19-April 30, 2024!
Over $8,000 in cash and prizes!
We are super excited about the 5th annual Small Planet Cleanup Contest to celebrate Earth Day, running March 19-April 30th!
Everything we need is provided by our Earth and taking care of our Small Planet is the least that we can do! For many of us, this time of year is when we are spending a lot more time in the forest and trails around Vancouver Island and are finding that there is a lot of garbage where there shouldn’t be. Our goal is to have the entire Campbell River and Comox Valley Regional District and surrounding forests cleaned up in 6 weeks’ time!
The rules are simple. From March 19 until April 30th at 6pm:
- Take before and after photos of garbage you find and clean up anywhere in the Campbell River/Comox Valley Strathcona Regional District.
- Submit your photos by using the form on this page (Multiple entries are encouraged).
- Contact cleanup organizer Tara Jordan for biodegradable garbage bags, CVRD tipping fee forms, (to waive the dump fees), to become a sponsor, to recommend areas that are in need of a cleanup, or for any other questions – 250-202-7446 or tara@smallplanetenergy.ca.
- Get outside and make a positive difference by being a part of the solution today. Spread the word!
IMPORTANT: If you experience problems while uploading photos, please select only 2 of your best photos to upload so that you don’t have a timeout and send the other ones by email to tara@smallplanetenergy.ca. Thank you! 🙂
Thousands in cash prizes for best cleanups!
1st prize – $2000
2nd prize – $1000
3rd prize – $500
as well as $100 for the top children’s clean ups and gift certificates for the runners up.
Bonus points will be awarded for entries who must overcome obstacles (ie. transportation barriers, physical limitations, garbage transported across distances or other barriers).
Thank you again to our amazing 2023 sponsorship team for awarding $8380 in cash and prizes for our 4th annual contest winners: The Web Smith, CR Noon Rotary Club, Associated Tired, Island Owl Mazda, TPH Contracting Inc., IZCO Technology Solutions, Feller Financial Group, Ranger Forest Services, Steve Marshall Ford, CVRD, Sage Spa, Twin Cedar Automotive, Solace Massage, Pitch-In Canada, Mosaic Forest Management, Boston Pizza, TKS Lawfirm, Waypoint Insurance, Gord Knight Ventures, Myrica Biological Services).
April 22, 2024, marks the 54th annual celebration of Earth Day, which is a global movement that now includes 193 countries and over 1 billion participants, around the world. We’re hoping this challenge will continue to inspire people to help clean up the Campbell River and Comox Valley Regional District, and this beautiful small planet that we all care so much about!
What better way to celebrate Earth Day!?
Contest Summary
(see photos of our previous year’s Earth Champions below):
2020 – 18 participants $300 in prizes
2021 – 157 participants $2000 in prizes
2022 – 855 participants (including seven schools, a partnership with CVRD to waive tipping fees for all our contestants, thousands of kg’s in garbage cleaned up), and $4875 in prizes
2023 – 1032 participants, $8380in prizes and 7 tons of garbage cleaned up!
2024 – We are hoping to make this years’ contest the biggest and most garbage cleaned up ever!
For individuals or businesses that would like to get involved by sponsoring the cleanup, please contact event organizer Tara Jordan (tara@smallplanetenergy.ca or 250-202-7446). Everyone involved, (ie. our amazing contest website designer The Web Smith, the judging panel, the cleanup event teams, and the Small Planet crew), are all volunteers, so everything donated by April 30th will go directly to prizes for the best cleanups.
Event photos from previous years
Tara Jordan, co-owner of Small Planet Energy Inc., discovered garbage that had been dumped near Small Planet headquarters in 2020. After doing a clean-up, we were inspired to initiate a challenge to have others do the same.
Winners from previous year’s contests: Van and Ali Ellsworth, Jaimie Barth, Larry Jackson and Doug Anderson, Katie Wilson and friends, Jared, Nolan and Chelsey Holley, Janice Sewell and friends, Barbara Forde and friends, , members from the Centre for Inspired Living, SD72 classes and many others.
2022-1st Place tie winners – Karen Hoy & Friends
1st place tie ($500) winner – Karen & Friends Cleanup –Sponsored by Island Owl Mazda
Carihi Forestry Program Cleanup
2022 Prize winners – sponsored by Solace Massage and Waypoint Insurance
2022-Brandon Rockhill and his Grade 5-6 Class
2022 – Most impressive children’s cleanup winner – sponsored by Mosaic Forestry
2022-1st Place tie winners – Madeline, Shoshana & Friends
2022-1st Place tie winners – Karen Hoy & Friends – Sponsored by Small Planet Energy
2022 – Sandy McLachlan & Friends – Ocean cleanup
1st place tie ($500) winner – Sandy McLachlan & Friends Cleanup –Sponsored by Hi-Limit Plumbing and Heating
2022-Ecole Puntledge Park Cleanup
2nd place tie ($250) winner – Ecole Puntledge Park Cleanup –Sponsored by Fitness Etc.
2021 – 1st Place Tie Winners – Larry Jackson and Doug Anderson
2021 – 1st Place Tie Winner – Jamie Barth
2020 – 1st place winner – Darlene Chick Siu
2021 – 2nd Place Tie Winner – Sayward Clean Up
2021 – 3rd Place Tie Winner -Michelle Merkel’s Nexus Class
2021 – Janice Sewell’s Group Cleanup
2021 – Holley Family Cleanup
2021 – Ali and Van Ellsworth Cleanup
2021 – Barbara Forde and friends clean up
2021 – 2nd Place Tie Winner – Centre for Inspired living
