Guess how many tons of garbage the Okanagan Forest Task Force removed in one day

"WE FILLED THAT BIN."

KELOWNA – The group of Okanagan outdoor and shooting enthusiasts who are fighting against the mess some people leave in the bush removed more than 21,000 lbs. of garbage this past weekend.

The Okanagan Forest Task Force formed last month after a Facebook post brought attention to an area on the way to Postill Lake that target shooters had turned into a garbage dump. In one day, a small group of people with shovels, rakes, trucks, trailers and heavy equipment returned it back to nature.

Since then the group has cleaned up several other sites, become a registered non-profit and announced they would tackle the abandoned campsite of Terrance Michael Landon, 57, who went missing December 26, 2013.

Task Force president Kane Blake says he was shocked at the turnout when they met early Saturday morning, Nov. 5.

“It was a great cleanup,” he says. “I’d say (we had) around 50 (people). Last time we had 20 so we’re definitely growing very fast.”

The volunteers have managed to recruit several sponsors who donated employees and equipment to the cause. Along with several pieces of heavy equipment, the group brought a truck with a giant electro-magnet and an 80-yard waste bin. They took out four vehicles, chemical waste and dozens of used hypodermic syringes.

“We filled that bin,” Blake says. “That definitely wouldn’t have happened without all the people who showed up. It was great.”

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