Don't Mess with the Don

Call out for Paddling support volunteers for our 2026 Paddle & Protect Kayaking/Canoeing/Paddle Boarding season

Do you love to paddle, protect the environment and want to help others do the same? We paddle to Toronto Islands, Biidaasige and Tommy Thompson as well as special events. We are looking for volunteers to help with the paddling programs and it can be as few or as many hours as you can give. Great perks like after hours access to our boats and socials like BBQs.

Please send us an email at [email protected]. This Sunday at 10 am at our Cherry Beach paddle centre we have our orientation and BBQ ( Pancakes with blueberries) if you are interested.

The paddling season starts June 14th - ignore writing on graphic below lol, we just like the photo

DMWTD

Good People aren't hard to find, they are right around the corner and oh so kind, it's true. We'd like to spend some time with you, ooh ooh ooh.

130 really Good People cleaned 300 bags of trash and 6000 pounds of rubbish from the DVP today. At Queen St, Danforth, Taylor Creek and Rainbow Tunnel, red DMWTD shirts were everywhere showing Toronto how good this city is.

Thank you to the folks who pulled sludgy gross plastics out of the mud, thank you to those who pried old tires from the ground, thank you to the kids who make us all so proud and the parents and grandparents who make us even prouder.

The 4th annual DVP clean up is in the books and what a great story it was. You are the sunny day, the hard work, the hero saving the world and the happy ending. DMWTD volunteers are legends and we love spending time with you, ooh ooh ooh

Big shout out to all the City of Toronto staff who helped with this clean up. To all the frontline city workers at all our locations, thank you for your hard work and kindness.

There ain't no place that we'd rather be,
Then here right now, with good people.

LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS and it is only May 31st

Year to date:
Number of clean ups - 132
Number of bags - 2354
Amount of trash removed - 44,500 pounds
DMWTD is a registered Canadian Charity

This is Biidaasige Park today. DMWTD did a kayak clean up in Biidaasige as part of Toronto Tech Week. An absolutely beautiful park shining with incredible native plants, fanciful art and joyous play areas. The Don River's new water course is wonderful yet today DMWTD volunteers in just a shortly while, cleaned thousands of pieces of plastics. Numerous large styrofoam icebergs floated in the river patiently fragmenting into billions of tiny pieces, multi-packs of plastic water bottles nestled in the reeds and rushes. We used strainers to scoop piles of tiny plastics and micro plastics into bags.

Humanity has overseen a profound transformation "a shift from a culture defined by it's production to a culture defined by it's waste"

In 2025, DMWTD led over 60 clean ups of Toronto's waterways including numerous clean ups of Biidaasige. We have scooped lazy pools of toxic plastics swirling amongst the reeds and rushes, picked up 1000's of plastic water bottles floating everywhere. Over 1000 people joined our guided clean ups for a chance to paddle a stunningly beautiful park for FREE with paddles, kayaks, PFD's and snacks all provided and in turn these awesome DMWTD humans did their part to save our planet.

In 2026, DMWTD hopes to have a much bigger impact with 12 new canoes and 30 new kayaks. For over 6 months, we have been negotiating/pleading with the City and various agencies that oversee Biidaasige for a small place to store 20 kayaks in or near the park. For free, we clean the trash and plastics, for free we have guided scouts, Parks and Rec Camps, Groups from U of T, TMU and other schools, corporate groups, city staff and so many others on paddles and clean ups. Still we wait and hope for a spot to store our boats so we don't have to carry, drive by trailer and lug all this equipment from Cherry Beach. Our fingers and paddles are crossed that these partners can find a solution for 2026.

DMWTD is a registered charity - over 425,000 of trash and plastics cleaned from our waterways and ravines since 2018

DMWTD programs are going strong in so many places.

Our youth trail running just finished up it's 3rd week tonight and we have explored so many trails and seen so many cool animals like Milk Snakes. 25 youth are getting the chance to learn all about trail running and the amazing ecosystems in the Don.

Project Buckthorn just finished up week three with one more week to go. This amazing program, partnering with Toronto Nature Stewards and the City of Toronto's Urban Forestry, has operated in Sunnybrook Park for the past 4 years. Project Buckthorn has restored large areas in SunnyBrook and removed over 12,000 invasive Buckthorn.

Our Mountain Biking kicks off its third year this Saturday from our new location at the back of the Science Centre.

Our Stewardship program has welcomed Scouts and Cubs, TDSB classes, Corporate partners over the past couple weeks.

The canoes for the new Canoeing program arrive June 10th and the Paddle and Protect Program hits the water June 14. We have delayed it a week due to the colder spring.

This Sunday, May 31st at 8 am is our 4th annual DVP Clean Up and we are still looking for a few more volunteers to help with this awesome event.

You can register here for any one of the four locations and help remove plastics and trash from the Don Valley. Keep it out of our environment, out of our ravines and out of our waterways.

Registration link - https://forms.gle/2nG2j56gR3sHLRui8

Hi Everyone

Unfortunately due to the rain and high winds forecasted for tomorrow we are cancelling the kayak and land clean up scheduled for Cherry Beach and Tommy Thompson Park. We are going to reschedule this great event.

DMWTD has had a busy clean up week with two big clean ups. Last Saturday, we joined with Toronto Police Services from 51 Division and Councillor Chris Moise to do a wonderful community clean up of Moss Park. This past Wednesday, DMWTD partnered with Amazon Web Services for the 3rd year for a huge clean up of Rosedale Valley Road which pulled nearly 2000 pounds of trash from RVR.

Next Sunday from 8 - 10:30 am is our big clean of the DVP! Hundreds of volunteers come out to clean the DVP from Queen St to the 401. It is Toronto's biggest clean up. We would really love to have you, your family and friends, and any groups join us for this amazing event. Everything is provided including snacks.

Sign up here - https://forms.gle/jtUySSB8xNdG15Xj9

LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS
Year to date:
Number of clean ups - 130
Number of bags - 2044
Amount of trash removed - 38,300 pounds
DMWTD is a registered Canadian Charity

DON VALLEY PARKWAY CLEAN UP - Year 4 !!!!

May 31st - 8 am - 10:30 am

Come join DMWTD for the largest clean up in the city and most likely in the country. Every year when the DVP closes for the charity bike ride, DMWTD volunteers come out to clean the Parkway from the lake to the 401. Come on out and join a couple hundred friends and neighbours for the fastest two hours on the DVP.

Choose from one of 5 locations - York Mills, Rainbow Tunnel, Taylor Creek, Danforth and Queen St.

Register here - https://forms.gle/2sohSK5e1Shtzfiv5

See you on the DVP

DMWTD

Don’t Mess with the Don has two exciting summer camps and registration is now open.

Our WILD Summer Camp is an environmental based camp for youth 11 - 14 years old that runs for two full weeks each summer. The camp is from 8:30 to 4:30 each day. This summer camp experience is for 15 youth (a new group for each of the two weeks) aged 11-14. The camp is a full day, 5 days a week camp centered around environmental issues including human impacts of plastic pollution and trash in our ravines and waterways. Participants will learn about environmental conditions and habitat through restoration including invasive species removal and education as well as learn about native plants. Youth will help improve access and enjoyment of natural spaces through trail building and repair. Youth will create art projects that focus on important local and global issues such as habitat loss, climate change, and pollution.

The WILD program participants will have the opportunity to join the leaders and experts with our Paddle and Protect Kayaking/Canoeing/Paddle Boarding program that will allow them to learn to paddle, experience nature from the water and most importantly help restore Toronto’s waterways through clean ups and trash/plastics data collection. Camp youth will be able to have guided eco-trips to Toronto Islands to see first-hand animals and birds like Egrets, Great Blue Heron, Mink, Woodpeckers, Tree Swallows and many more native flora and fauna that in most cases are under pressure from the issues described above. All the animals listed were seen during camp in 2025.

Youth will get a chance to work with our Mtn Biking and Trail Running teams to learn about minimal impact trails and building in harmony with nature.

Week one - July 6 - 10

Week two - Aug 10 - 14

SIGN UP LINK - https://forms.gle/3CXgXTFyyPhk3v3h9

Paddling/Kayaking Environmental camp for youth 12- 15 years of age. This camp runs out of Cherry Beach. This camp has 15 spots for an exciting 3 days of Kayaking, Canoeing and Paddle Boarding to the new Biidaasige Park and Toronto Islands. This camp will also be having a BBQ and beach games day. A water clean up as well. We have lifeguards and great staff for this new program. 8:30 - 4:30 pm.

Week One - July 13 - 15

Week Two - August 17 - 19

Sing Up Link - https://forms.gle/Yk4NX321hcDhJjzd7

Registration for both opens May 15th and remember all DMWTD programs are free!

DMWTD is partnering with our great friends at 51 Division this Saturday, May 16th, at 11 am for a clean up of Moss Park and the surrounding neighbourhood.

We will have everything you need - gloves, bags, pickers and snacks.

Cheers

DMWTD

1377 bags of trash - over 24,000 pounds of trash collected in 120 TRASH GRABS

We are so thrilled and thankful to the DMWTD community. The first year of our fundraising trash grabs is nearly complete - we have a few still trickling in (it's not too late).

At $5 a bag from our sponsors that's $6,885 raised for our community programs. Kayaking, Summer Camps, trail running, mtn biking, art, stewardship, canoeing, paddle boarding, clean ups are all free and all benefit from your efforts.

Thanks to the more than 1000 people who cleaned the neighbourhoods, parks, ravines, shorelines and small space we all love. Clean ups all over the city but also in Italy, France, other parts of Ontario and even the Yucatan in Mexico. Wow, just wow.

9 schools participated, businesses, scout and beaver groups, mtn bikers, trail runners and partners like Patagonia and Fjallraven.

The winner of the Fjallraven Backpacks is Cindy Tram and her group who pick up 10 bags of trash at Gordon A. Brown MS.

This will be our big annual fundraising event each spring and next year we hope to claim the whole $25,000 that was available.

We have clean ups and events happening many times each week and it is only going to get busier with Youth Trail Running, Mountain Biking, Kayaking, Canoeing all starting up in the next few weeks. The next big event is of course the DVP clean up. On May 31st, DMWTD volunteers will clean up the DVP from Queen St to the 401. Our 4th year on the Parkway - also Wow.

Sign up here - https://forms.gle/qSkoTZaLRYrK4tcP7

LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS

Year to date:
Number of clean ups - 128
Number of bags - 1933
Amount of trash removed - 35,900 pounds
DMWTD is a registered Canadian Charity

DMWTD has been busy and everywhere in the valley the last two weeks. This apart from the two big Earth day Events on April 26th which had over 150 people and cleaned 4500 pounds of trash.

DMWTD :

Hosted the grade 6's from Rolph Road PS for stewardship - Buckthorn removal and invasive species work - amazing group.

Hosted Manulife for a clean up of Rosedale Valley Road - 35 bags of trash

Hosted RBC for a clean up of the old railway under the Bloor Viaduct - 40 bags

Hosted Tetrapak for a clean up of Sunnybrook Park - over 50 bags ++++

At Todmorden Mills for our very popular Art from Invasives workshop

Hosted Tuner & Townsend for a Stewardship Event

Hosted TMX - Toronto Stock Exchange for a clean up in the Portlands and Biidaasige Park - 60 bags

Had our first ever TRASH GRAB PIZZA PARTY with our best friends at Patagonia Toronto - 30 bags of trash and the best time ever.

Thank you to all these groups for coming out and giving back. You are all awesome and we love all the great partnerships we have with schools, companies and community partners.

We have compiled all the trash grab info we have received but more is still trickling in. If you have not sent in your location pin, photo and number of bags, please do so asap. We will do the draw tonight for the Fjallraven backpacks

Our DVP clean up registration is live and we are so excited for the 4th year of this amazing event - sign up now - https://forms.gle/Mo5KqxTQtaCBwCpz9

We will update all the stats soon.

May newsletter on its way

DMWTD