Despite the rainy down pour Saturday, the Okanagan Forest Task Force (OFTF) managed to clean up clean up 3,527 pounds of garbage with only 12 volunteers.
The group was started in September 2016 by Kane Blake to offset the damage illegal garbage dumpers have done to B.C. forests.
“This past Saturday we had to do a lot of shooting range clean-up, including shot up stoves, four burnt vehicles, mattresses in ditches, but what was really concerning was the amount of unattended bonfires still burning,” said Blake.
The OFTF usually has about 25 volunteers for their monthly clean-ups, but the pouring rain cut those numbers in half Saturday.
READ MORE: Forest cleared of 22,000 pounds of junk
“We are aiming to have another clean-up next month depending on fire bans in place,” said Blake.
Follow OFTF on Facebook or visit their website to find out when the next clean-up is scheduled for and how to volunteer.
OFTF has picked-up 192,417 pounds of garbage and metal since it was started.
“Our license plates say beautiful British Columbia, but if you saw what the outback looks like, it’s not beautiful, so we have a motto, let’s make B.C. beautiful again,” said Blake.
READ MORE: Abandoned vehicles a common sight in the forest
@LarynGilmour
laryn.gilmour@blackpress.ca
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