Marsh Creek Cleanup yields discovery of pot grow-op

Volunteers have grown accustomed to finding odd things among the garbage they've removed over the two decades of the Marsh Creek Cleanup, but it's rare that the police need to be called over a discovery.

This is the 20th year of the annual volunteer effort organized by ACAP Saint John. ACAP's executive director Graeme Stewart-Robertson said over that time, volunteers have come out of the watershed with strange items.

"We've found everything from engine blocks to sex toys over the years,"he said, which is why he wasn't surprised to hear about the discovery of a small-scale grow-op.

Gardening supplies included

A group of volunteers made the discovery after spotting a red garden hose in the brush. Following it to its end, they found about 10marijuana plants complete with gardening supplies.

Kate Shannonspeaks for the event's corporate sponsor,Canaport LNG. Shesaid the discovery was a first.

"It was a definitely a different one,"she said, adding that the police are now looking into the matter.

Awards for strangest find

Each year, the event gives out awards for the strangest items found during the cleanup. Past discoveries have included a litter of kittens in a couch, a birth certificateand even a $100bill.

This year, some of the contenders included a pair of women's underwear and a small rodent skull. It should come as no surprise that the pot plants easily won.

Less garbage collected

While the marijuana discovery could have overshadowed the event, the organizers are encouraged by what looks like a decline in illegal dumping.

Canaport has been a sponsor for nine years and Shannon said theamount of garbage being collected is getting smaller. In her first year, volunteers dragged out more thanseven tonnes of garbage, but Shannon said the last few years it has gone down to an average of three tonnes.

That's great news for Stewart-Robertson who said the overall health of the 4,300-hectare watershed is more important than the average person may think.

"It forms a backbone of our ecological footprint,"he said, adding that when the creek is bogged down with garbage, the whole area can suffer.

"When Marsh Creek backs up, we notice it. It floods into roads or into homes or buildings."

While the amount of garbage appears to be going down, the enthusiasm from volunteers isn't. Despite a soggy start to the day, 110 volunteers showed up to pitchin.

Some like Jayne Kingston were surprised by the amount of garbage they were finding.

"In the marsh itself, we found a lot Styrofoam and just plastic bags,"she said.

Kingston said she and her daughter Olivia will be back again next year, likely with more volunteers in tow.