In honour of Mother鈥檚 Day weekend, more than 70 people gave back to Mother Earth by assisting with a community cleanup of illegal dumpings across Peachland鈥檚 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鈥檚 water and as a site for recreational activities, Taryn Skalbania, the co-founder and director of outreach for PWPA, said it鈥檚 important for people to respect the land.
鈥淚t seems that we have a very finite space on this Earth. But we鈥檙e creating an infinite amount of things that are just disposable and people are just abandoning them,鈥� said Skalbania. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just not a lot of respect for Mother Nature, the wildlife and the animals.鈥�
This was the watershed鈥檚 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.
鈥淥ne, it鈥檚 unsightly. But two, it鈥檚 dangerous. We found 40-gallon drums here, oil change abandoned, metal,鈥� said Skalbania. 鈥淓very weekend, we call them the weekend warriors, they come here and use it as an illegal target site.鈥�
Virginia Schmidt, a cleanup volunteer and the secretary of the PWPA, said she was heartbroken and devastated by all the garbage she picked up.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not OK. People like us can clean up, clean up and keep cleaning up. But people don鈥檛 have respect and we have no one to monitor that,鈥� said Schmidt. 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty shocked. I鈥檝e done the cleanup before, but it didn鈥檛 seem that bad last time.鈥�
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.
鈥淭his is my home. It鈥檚 home and nature,鈥� said Sotas. 鈥淭hose people really oughta be ashamed of themselves.鈥�
Similarly, Peachland resident and volunteer Maggie Lovelock said people need to realize that they鈥檙e polluting their own backyard.
鈥淲ould you do this to your own backyard? Why do this to everyone else鈥檚 backyard?鈥� 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.
鈥淛ust nice, polite, reminding signs that this is your community drinking water. This is a community watershed. Treat it with respect,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ot just for your humans, but for the animals, the wildlife, all the users of the watershed.鈥�
READ MORE: Cleaning up Peachland鈥檚 backcountry for Mother鈥檚 Day
READ MORE: Illegal dump found in 琉璃神社 backcountry, authorities seeking answers
aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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