In honour of Mothersa国际传媒檚 Day weekend, more than 70 people gave back to Mother Earth by assisting with a community cleanup of illegal dumpings across Peachlandsa国际传媒檚 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 communitysa国际传媒檚 water and as a site for recreational activities, Taryn Skalbania, the co-founder and director of outreach for PWPA, said itsa国际传媒檚 important for people to respect the land.
sa国际传媒淚t seems that we have a very finite space on this Earth. But wesa国际传媒檙e creating an infinite amount of things that are just disposable and people are just abandoning them,sa国际传媒� said Skalbania. sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 just not a lot of respect for Mother Nature, the wildlife and the animals.sa国际传媒�
This was the watershedsa国际传媒檚 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.
sa国际传媒淥ne, itsa国际传媒檚 unsightly. But two, itsa国际传媒檚 dangerous. We found 40-gallon drums here, oil change abandoned, metal,sa国际传媒� said Skalbania. sa国际传媒淓very weekend, we call them the weekend warriors, they come here and use it as an illegal target site.sa国际传媒�
Virginia Schmidt, a cleanup volunteer and the secretary of the PWPA, said she was heartbroken and devastated by all the garbage she picked up.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not OK. People like us can clean up, clean up and keep cleaning up. But people donsa国际传媒檛 have respect and we have no one to monitor that,sa国际传媒� said Schmidt. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 pretty shocked. Isa国际传媒檝e done the cleanup before, but it didnsa国际传媒檛 seem that bad last time.sa国际传媒�
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.
sa国际传媒淭his is my home. Itsa国际传媒檚 home and nature,sa国际传媒� said Sotas. sa国际传媒淭hose people really oughta be ashamed of themselves.sa国际传媒�
Similarly, Peachland resident and volunteer Maggie Lovelock said people need to realize that theysa国际传媒檙e polluting their own backyard.
sa国际传媒淲ould you do this to your own backyard? Why do this to everyone elsesa国际传媒檚 backyard?sa国际传媒� 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.
sa国际传媒淛ust nice, polite, reminding signs that this is your community drinking water. This is a community watershed. Treat it with respect,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淣ot just for your humans, but for the animals, the wildlife, all the users of the watershed.sa国际传媒�
READ MORE: Cleaning up Peachlandsa国际传媒檚 backcountry for Mothersa国际传媒檚 Day
READ MORE: Illegal dump found in Kelowna backcountry, authorities seeking answers
aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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