Frequently Asked Questions

Bathroom Facilities?

There are no bathrooms available because you will be hiking in nature. Please go before you leave or stop somewhere on the way. If you are attending the festivities after the clean up there are port-o-pottys there.

Cancellation or Postponements?

We usually go rain or shine and dress for proper weather conditions but because mother nature does not always co-operate there may be a need to cancel/postpone the clean-up due to dangerous ground conditions or severe weather. If that is necessary the date will be published on our blog, the front page of our website and throughout our social media channels. If the weather is questionable check back for details.

Community Service Hours?

Students are able to get community service hours. Schools supply forms to fill out that can usually be obtained from the guidance department. To obtain one of these forms click on one of these links:  HWCDSB (Catholic High Schools) or HWDSB (Public High Schools) The student should bring the sheet to The Escarpment Project and hand it to the Team Leader upon arriving. When the student is done he/she can pick the signed sheet up. Students also have an opportunity to receive community service hours by volunteering at the BBQ. For more info or to volunteer at the BBQ please contact us.

What Should I Bring?

  • Food

We do not typically supply food at the project locations. Bring a snack and water at least. Depending on how long you wish to volunteer for, you may want to bring an actual lunch. Hiking can sure work up an appetite. It may just look like trees on a hill but once you are in a valley, it takes time to hike out and it can be more rugged than you anticipate depending on your location. Afterwards free food is supplied to all clean up volunteers thanks to our various sponsors. There will also be food and beverages for sale.

  • First Aid

If you have your own first aid kit it is a good idea to bring it. There are lots of slippery, loose and sharp rocks as well as fallen trees and tree branches to cut or scratch yourself on. You could also slip and sprain an ankle or worse.  At some of the more challenging project locations we have St John Ambulance volunteers on hand to help with any first aid needs.

  • Clothing

Dress for proper weather conditions. Remember to dress in layers. There is also a chance you will get your feet muddy and wet so its a good idea to bring extra socks and boots. If you put plastic bags over your feet when you put them in your boots that will help keep your feet dry.

Although gloves are being made available, they aren’t high quality and you may prefer something better like gardening gloves. Because of the time of year you may even wish to wear insulated gardening gloves.

Meeting

  • When and Where Do I Meet?

Some areas have more than once location. There is a map and explanation on each project location page. Click here for a list of projects that will take you to the appropriate page and location map.

Pets and Kids

Do NOT bring your pets and use your best judgement with kids. Its a great way to teach them but there are also hazards. They could slip, fall, sprain an ankle or worse.

Safety

  • Is it Safe?

Certain locations are NOT safe for everyone. If you are not custom to hiking you should stay on a trail at all times and show up at an easier location to hike through. The more prepared you are, the safer and more enjoyable of an experience it will be for everyone. If you dress for proper weather conditions and walk safely you should have no problems.

Sponsorships and Donations

The Escarpment Project welcomes sponsorships and donations. If you would like to sponsor or donate to The Escarpment Project you can do so by clicking the Donation button on our Home page. We also have various levels of sponsorship. Sponsoring The Escarpment Project is a great opportunity for businesses. Through our various levels of sponsorship businesses have the opportunity to promote themselves not only to the hundreds of volunteers who participate in the event, but to the general public as part of The Escarpment Project’s online and print advertising. Contact us for more info. We would be happy to share our sponsorship package with you.

Dress for proper weather conditions.

What is the Escarpment Project?

The Escarpment Project is a cleanup event that began in 2011 at Devil’s Punchbowl. During the making of the first video blog I jokingly nicknamed it, “Project Punchbowl.”  With the addition of other cleanup locations came additional nicknames such as; Project Albion, Project Chedoke, Project Kenilworth Rail Trail and the list goes on…   Since the cleanup locations traveled the length of the escarpment in Hamilton and with plans to expand the cleanup locations even further along the escarpment, I gave it the nickname, “The Escarpment Project.” There are a wide variety of people and teams that take part in the annual cleanup including large corporations such as; Starbucks, ArcelorMittal Dofasco, St Joseph’s Healthcare, First Ontario Credit Union, Muskoka Brewery and McMaster Innovation Park. In order to post the event in their event listings some companies require Not For Profit numbers which are given to Non-Profit organizations. Starbucks, for instance, volunteered over 20 employees. I turned the nick-name, “The Escarpment Project” into a legal  non-profit entity in order to take advantage of corporate participation in the fall of 2013 so I could give them a number for their postings.  It is still run in the same manner as the first cleanup at Devil’s Punchbowl. Any money that is donated goes toward clean-up supplies, safety equipment, insurance and other things needed to run these events. If you need our Not-for-profit number in order to help out just ask.

Is it really the largest volunteer environmental clean up in Canada?

It is definitely the largest of its kind. By that I mean it takes place simultaneously, in one location and it’s in the same geological area/forest. (The escarpment in Hamilton.) Some organizations just have people telling them when and where they are cleaning up and add it to their list.  That’s like asking everyone to tell you when they are going to clean their backyard or garage just so you can add it to your list and promote that you have the largest backyard or garage cleanup. Don’t misinterpret the meaning of this message. It is important to keep the world as natural and unpolluted as possible, and doing it at any level is honourable. We just do things differently and think that doing it all at once has a greater impact on people and their communities than many smaller cleanups. Think of it this way – What will have a greater impact? A few people going to work on a Monday and telling coworkers they cleaned the environment, or a lot of people going to work and spreading the word? I believe its the latter of the two and hope you’ll join us and spread the word.