Looking Back – OF4WD Clean-Up
So why is it that today, after all we have learned as a society, that we are still cleaning up debris from this provinces' trails and back roads?By Brian Sibbles
Looking back at previous OF4WD newsletters, it's apparent that garbage left on trails has been a problem for many years. Back in the late 90’s and early 2000's, the OF4WD - at that time known as Northern Lights 4X4 - had to deal with many of the same problems and issues we see today. Our founders and clubs performed 'clean-up’s', and removed tons of debris that was left by trail users or from illegal local dumping.
So why is it that today, after all we have learned as a society, that we are still cleaning up debris from this provinces' trails and back roads? Seeing the passion and dedication our members show in cleaning up the trails year after year, it stands to reason that they are not the ones guilty for leaving this mess. It raises the question of who is, and how can we - as a group that fosters stewardship of trails - help influence these people to respect and care for our land. Given that we are able to identify these groups, our best way to influence them is by example.
With our new on-line trail reporting system, the OF4WD has been able to establish areas of concern quicker and with greater detail. Pictures from cell phones have become a great tool for members to communicate their issues faster than ever before. This has brought the problem to the forefront, right into the view of the community. They can now see pictures of of the problem areas, and perhaps feel the need to make a difference. This was exactly the case for member Jeff Sicard, a well-known moderator on the jeepkings.ca forum - a public forum for the 4WD community.
The OF4WD had a few trail reports from the Ardbeg, Parry Sound Area, stating that the garbage and left-behind construction materials were an eye-sore, and that we should consider getting a team together to clean it up. As we started to think about getting someone on the project, Jeff was already one step ahead - calling us for support. We supported Jeff in calling the MNR and local OPP, and advised them that we wanted to clean up the area. The parties were more than helpful, and were happy to hear that someone was going to take on this project. This is a hard task, as the area is remote; the removing of heavy and large debris is difficult, to say the least. Well, you don’t know Jeff. He organized a plan to cut the old vehicles up, collect all the debris, then strap it to off-road trailers for extraction. Yes, a very large job indeed.
In July and September 2011, 36 volunteers, lead by Jeff, representing four OF4WD member clubs (Brampton Area Jeep Association - BAJA, Independent Off-Road, London & Area Jeep Owners Club, and Retreads), came from as far away as London, Oshawa, and Sudbury, to spend nine days removing debris from the trail. The debris included an old culvert that had been discarded into the bush, discarded cabling, and long-abandoned vehicles and parts. The length of trail covered was approximately 50 KM.
The OF4WD would like to thank Loggers Station House (Ardbeg) for their continued hospitality and support throughout the initiative; Kirby Butler of Parry Sound, for assisting with the disposal of debris, and the many local residents and other trail users, who stopped to talk to the volunteers and express their gratitude for their efforts.
If you ever find yourself saying this trail is gorgeous, clean and beautiful, remember: it takes many years and many volunteers to keep them this way. Please remember to leave nothing on the trail, and if you do see some garbage, do the right thing and pick it up. If we all do our part, then maybe one day we won’t have to worry about this kind of problem. Instead, we'll all just be able to enjoy what this province has to offers.