In honour of Mother乌鸦传媒檚 Day weekend, more than 70 people gave back to Mother Earth by assisting with a community cleanup of illegal dumpings across Peachland乌鸦传媒檚 watershed area Saturday (May 8).
The event, organized by Okanagan Forestry Task Force (OFTF) and the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance (PWPA), saw Peachland residents volunteer six hours of their time to pick up garbage that was illegally dumped across the watershed, which spans 400 sq. km.
With the area serving as the source for the community乌鸦传媒檚 water and as a site for recreational activities, Taryn Skalbania, the co-founder and director of outreach for PWPA, said it乌鸦传媒檚 important for people to respect the land.
乌鸦传媒淚t seems that we have a very finite space on this Earth. But we乌鸦传媒檙e creating an infinite amount of things that are just disposable and people are just abandoning them,乌鸦传媒� said Skalbania. 乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 just not a lot of respect for Mother Nature, the wildlife and the animals.乌鸦传媒�
This was the watershed乌鸦传媒檚 first of two cleanups of the year. Throughout the day, volunteers picked up discarded items that included everything from shotgun shells, furniture, BBQs, TVs, car parts and tires, and even the remains of an animal.
乌鸦传媒淥ne, it乌鸦传媒檚 unsightly. But two, it乌鸦传媒檚 dangerous. We found 40-gallon drums here, oil change abandoned, metal,乌鸦传媒� said Skalbania. 乌鸦传媒淓very weekend, we call them the weekend warriors, they come here and use it as an illegal target site.乌鸦传媒�
Virginia Schmidt, a cleanup volunteer and the secretary of the PWPA, said she was heartbroken and devastated by all the garbage she picked up.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not OK. People like us can clean up, clean up and keep cleaning up. But people don乌鸦传媒檛 have respect and we have no one to monitor that,乌鸦传媒� said Schmidt. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 pretty shocked. I乌鸦传媒檝e done the cleanup before, but it didn乌鸦传媒檛 seem that bad last time.乌鸦传媒�
Peachland resident and volunteer Lloyd Stinson Sotas said he was happy to see the community turnout, but was not at all pleased with the garbage he picked up.
乌鸦传媒淭his is my home. It乌鸦传媒檚 home and nature,乌鸦传媒� said Sotas. 乌鸦传媒淭hose people really oughta be ashamed of themselves.乌鸦传媒�
Similarly, Peachland resident and volunteer Maggie Lovelock said people need to realize that they乌鸦传媒檙e polluting their own backyard.
乌鸦传媒淲ould you do this to your own backyard? Why do this to everyone else乌鸦传媒檚 backyard?乌鸦传媒� she said.
According to Skalbania, there are plans to place cameras and signs around the area, cautioning visitors to respect what the land has to offer.
乌鸦传媒淛ust nice, polite, reminding signs that this is your community drinking water. This is a community watershed. Treat it with respect,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淣ot just for your humans, but for the animals, the wildlife, all the users of the watershed.乌鸦传媒�
READ MORE: Cleaning up Peachland乌鸦传媒檚 backcountry for Mother乌鸦传媒檚 Day
READ MORE: Illegal dump found in Kelowna backcountry, authorities seeking answers
aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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