In honour of Mother91裸聊视频檚 Day weekend, more than 70 people gave back to Mother Earth by assisting with a community cleanup of illegal dumpings across Peachland91裸聊视频檚 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 community91裸聊视频檚 water and as a site for recreational activities, Taryn Skalbania, the co-founder and director of outreach for PWPA, said it91裸聊视频檚 important for people to respect the land.
91裸聊视频淚t seems that we have a very finite space on this Earth. But we91裸聊视频檙e creating an infinite amount of things that are just disposable and people are just abandoning them,91裸聊视频� said Skalbania. 91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 just not a lot of respect for Mother Nature, the wildlife and the animals.91裸聊视频�
This was the watershed91裸聊视频檚 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.
91裸聊视频淥ne, it91裸聊视频檚 unsightly. But two, it91裸聊视频檚 dangerous. We found 40-gallon drums here, oil change abandoned, metal,91裸聊视频� said Skalbania. 91裸聊视频淓very weekend, we call them the weekend warriors, they come here and use it as an illegal target site.91裸聊视频�
Virginia Schmidt, a cleanup volunteer and the secretary of the PWPA, said she was heartbroken and devastated by all the garbage she picked up.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not OK. People like us can clean up, clean up and keep cleaning up. But people don91裸聊视频檛 have respect and we have no one to monitor that,91裸聊视频� said Schmidt. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 pretty shocked. I91裸聊视频檝e done the cleanup before, but it didn91裸聊视频檛 seem that bad last time.91裸聊视频�
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.
91裸聊视频淭his is my home. It91裸聊视频檚 home and nature,91裸聊视频� said Sotas. 91裸聊视频淭hose people really oughta be ashamed of themselves.91裸聊视频�
Similarly, Peachland resident and volunteer Maggie Lovelock said people need to realize that they91裸聊视频檙e polluting their own backyard.
91裸聊视频淲ould you do this to your own backyard? Why do this to everyone else91裸聊视频檚 backyard?91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淛ust nice, polite, reminding signs that this is your community drinking water. This is a community watershed. Treat it with respect,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淣ot just for your humans, but for the animals, the wildlife, all the users of the watershed.91裸聊视频�
READ MORE: Cleaning up Peachland91裸聊视频檚 backcountry for Mother91裸聊视频檚 Day
READ MORE: Illegal dump found in Kelowna backcountry, authorities seeking answers
aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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