Wondering what to do with those eclipse glasses? The Jack Miner sanctuary can help

If you're wondering what to do with those eclipse glasses now that Monday's total solar eclipse has come and gone, the people at the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary say can help make sure the glasses get put to good use.

The sanctuary in Kingsville is collecting eclipse glasses for Astronomers Without Borders, a non-profit that helps make astronomy accessible to everyone, in part by collecting and distributing eclipse glasses that have been recycled from areas that have already experienced an eclipse.

"We really want to collect as many as we can to to get as many away from landfills, to get them reused," said Tom Coke, the executive director of Jack Miner. "To get them re-purposed and to get them in hands of people that want to enjoy this.

"There's always the, 'OK, the event is over, now what?' And we have all of these thousands of glasses sitting around."

The glasses will be collected, inspected by teams of volunteers at Jack Miner, and shipped to Astronomers Without Borders, who will distribute them in the next location that will see a total solar eclipse. They will go to people who otherwise might not have a way to view the eclipse safely.

Coke says they also have other community hubs like the Essex County Library collecting on their behalf. Jack Miner will ship the glasses to Astronomers Without Borders at a later date — Coke says they're hoping for a donation to offset the cost of the shipping.

And, he says, conservation is central to what Jack Miner does.

"They allow for folks ... to experience the wonder that we all saw," he said.

Coke said they don't yet have a cut off date for collections, but people are encouraged to give them a call to set up a time to drop off the glasses, or drop them off at a community partner like the Essex County Library, which is collecting until Wednesday, April 17.

Other locations also collecting, recycling eclipse glasses

"It's absolutely wonderful and it just makes so much sense for Jack Miner to be a part of it," he said.

Other locations across Essex County are also collecting and recycling solar eclipse glasses. The Town of Amherstburg on social media there is a collection box at the Libro Credit Union Centre until the end of the month, and the Community Support Centre of Essex County says they're also collecting until April 29. Little Food Foods will be collecting solar eclipse glasses, also to be reused, until April 22.

And if you did feel like dropping your glasses off in-person at the Jack Miner sanctuary, Coke says Monday marked the start of National Wildlife Week and a whole slate of programming at Jack Miner throughout the week.

Residents can find more information online at jackminer.ca or on their social media pages.