A short teaser of an upcoming documentary that shows the dirty reality of the backcountry, being made by Kelowna㽶Ƶֱs Okanagan Forest Task Force(OFTF), has been released.
The Task Force, founded by Kane Blake, aims to educate the public about the pollution in B.C.㽶Ƶֱs forests and the hundreds of hours of hard work volunteers put in to help keep the backcountry clean.
OFTF has removed nearly 600,000 lbs of trash from the wilderness around Kelowna since 2016.
Illegal dumping in the wilderness often falls into a grey area of bureaucracy when it comes to its removal.
READ MORE: Forced to move with nowhere to go: Homeless in West Kelowna backcountry leaving messy location
Blake founded OFTF after realizing that if he wanted his children to be able to experience forests free from pollution, he would have to clean them himself.
The documentary, titled 㽶ƵֱWhat Really Lies Behind the Trees㽶Ƶֱ has been a massive undertaking and has required collaboration and donations from organizations across the Okanagan.
㽶ƵֱWe are already putting the newly donated computer from Tolko to use,㽶Ƶֱ said Blake, received a computer from the forestry company after his crashed. Since then, Blake has invested many hours seated behind the computer to work on the project.
Typically, Blake spends every second of his free time in the wilderness so his dedication to the documentary demonstrates his desire to educate the public on the damage that people are inflicting on public spaces.
㽶ƵֱIt㽶Ƶֱs a ton of work but very much worth it,㽶Ƶֱ said Blake.
In addition to the documentary, the OFTF has clean-ups planned for the spring and summer and is always looking for more volunteers.
㽶ƵֱWe are getting ready for a busy summer and hope to meet many people.㽶Ƶֱ
To volunteer or donate, visit or join the
Jacqueline.Gelineau@kelownacapnews.com
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