Ocean Cleanup Events
led by the Trash Panda Brigade
The Trash Panda Brigade
The story of the Trash Panda Brigade is really one of friendship. From our very beginnings we were a group of friends, credentialed paddling instructors and guides who liked to train together across multiple paddling disciplines and very soon realizing that the ocean trash we salvaged added to the intensity of our workouts and inevitably our offshore adventures became trash “hunting trips”. We couldn’t keep all the fun to ourselves and soon were removing the barriers for others to join our paddling stewardship adventures - especially new paddlers and children. And all along the way we kept adding helpers - all of which have become our friends!!
When we coordinate community events, we are grateful for the numerous organizations that we get to collaborate with, so together we can care for the ocean.
Follow our adventures on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceantrashpandas/
Events Past and Present
Check out some of our previous events below. On Earth Day 2025, a very small group of paddlers from the community removed an impressive 480 lbs from the shorelines in Brentwood Bay from Hagan Creek up to Henderson Point. In 2026, we brought reinforcements, and collected 1500+ lbs of trash!
Whiffin Spit Surf Rider Cleanup
September 20, 2026
Surfrider organized a great clean up of Whiffin Spit in Sooke, and some of us Trash Pandas helped by paddling to nearby shorelines to extract marine debris. We pulled a couple tires, buoys, rope and lots of Styrofoam and plastic.
We look forward to collaborating with them again.
Ocean Week 2026
- Inner Gorge Cleanup
May 30, 2026
Thanks to the individuals and organizations who collaborated with us on this successful clean up.
Earth Day Saanich Inlet Cleanup - 2026
April 19th 2026
A collaborative effort with Peninsula Streams & Shorelines, and Tsartlip First Nations, with support from Island Junk, who provided a disposal bin.
Together we collected 1590 lbs!
Thanks to the community who participated on land and sea!
Ocean Week 2025
- Inner Gorge Cleanup
June 7th, 11:00- 2:00
Paddlers launch near VCKC, on shore participants meet us at the beach beside Esquimalt Gorge Park Nature House.
This is free for all to join - bring your own boat if you're joining us on the water, otherwise, you're welcome to do a shoreline clean up beside us.
Gulf Islands Social Paddle Cleanup - 2025
June 6th, as part of Ocean Week Victoria
Launching from E Dock, Canoe Cove Marina
Thanks to all the kayak, SUP and canoe paddlers who came to be social and help clean the shores of the some smaller islands near Canoe Cove/ Swartz Bay.
Many hands make light work, and as a group we hauled so much foam, plastic and other debris from the inter-tidal zone.
KENNES (Hagan bight) Cleanup - 2024
In collaboration with Tsartlip and Peninsula Streams, we paddled to and walked the shoreline to Hagan creek, where it meets the ocean. The beautiful little creek had previously been used as a dump site, so we all pitched in to remove hundreds of pounds of trash.
This was a great collaboration of neighbours and our regular paddling community coming together to protect what we all love.
Earth Day 2025
Hagan Creek 2024
Gorge Cleanup
Swartz Bay Cleanup