It's finders keepers at Community Park beach in Parksville.
Volunteers, also known as Float Fairies, have been starting to hide glass floats along the beac front this week.
Charline Sinclair, the co-ordinator for the Float Fairies, said there are about 350 glass balls and 500 fused items which include seahorses, starfish and some sand dollars which will be coming soon.
“We’ve got a lot to spread,” Sinclair said. “What we’re hiding, it’s not a lot really. Like it would be nice if you could just really fill it up.”
But Sinclair isn’t on her own, she has the help of 24 other Float Fairies including husband and wife duo Roy and Judy Devereaux, two of the first volunteers.
Community Park beach is the first location, Sinclair said, and starting next month the Float Fairies will be dropping the glass floats in Deep Bay.
“While we add beaches, these beaches get repeated as well. There’s always stuff being put out,” she said.
Sinclair also said that even if they notice that weeks go by before a glass float is found, she doesn’t plan on moving it to a more visible location.
“I would leave it for the people who like to comb beaches,” she said, referring to herself and how she enjoys walking along beaches and looking for hidden treasures. “There are curious people.”
Sinclair said they’re being respectful of where they place the glass floats.
“We are trying to stay on public beaches and respecting signs, so if there’s an area that says ‘vegetation, stay off the path’ kind of thing, we won’t put anything there,” she said.
Sinclair also said they’re not putting the glass floats on properties that run onto the beach.
“Because as much as you say they are on the public beach, there are people who are trampling around,” Sinclair said.
While they were depositing the glass floats, Sinclair, Roy and Judy all noticed some of the garbage and litter along the beach.
They said they plan to bring bags to clean up the trash as they hide the glass floats.
The glass floats are part of the Tidal Treasure initiative in which residents and visitors alike can search for the glass floats during the off-season. Some of the floats will be starred and can be taken to the Parksville Visitor’s Centre to win prizes donated by local merchants. Those without a star can still take their floats to the centre to enter a prize draw.
For more information, visit www.tidaltreasures.info.