Back Country Horsemen of BC (BCHBC) is an organization that provides equestrians who are interested in trail riding with a safe and social learning atmosphere, where people of all ages can enjoy trail riding and the wilderness experience. Considering that environmental stewardship, trail building and trail maintenance are key parts of our overall mission, it makes sense that some of our 19 chapters get involved with community projects, such as Earth Day. Here’s a recap of how three of our chapters hosted Earth Day 2022 clean-ups … with hope that this will inspire other equestrian groups to plan Earth Day projects this year. Mark your calendars for April 22, 2023!
Alberni Chapter
Alberni Chapter’s Poster
“This was the first time the Alberni chapter hosted a park cleanup,” says spokesperson Chloe Wangler. “Our chapter has noticed more and more people out in the backcountry hiking and recreationally using the trails. While this is great, unfortunately, the heavier traffic has brought with it more litter. With our Earth Day challenge, we were hoping to bring a bit of awareness to this problem – and BCHBC’s commitment to ‘Leave No Trace’ – and support a local business at the same time.
“We invited all equestrians and anyone else using the backcountry to do their own cleanup, take a photo, and submit it to us for a chance to win a $50 gift card from Mobius Books in Port Alberni. It was set up so community members could participate on their own time, in any area of their choosing.
Alberni Chapter member, Ann Collins
“We had a total of eight entries with 12 participants in total, but we didn’t keep track of the amount of waste recovered,” reported Chloe. “The winner of the random draw was our own Back Country member Debra Ralston. It was well deserved as Deb and her husband Brian hauled a full pickup truck of garbage from the side of the road to the dump all on their own.”
Central Vancouver Island (CVI)
Before Clean Up
After Clean Up!
Forestry cones and pink flags.
According to NVI member, Sharon Pickthorne, in addition to traditional ‘trash’, this chapter’s Earth Day project involved cleaning up a mess caused by an elk! “We had five volunteers who focused on local forester Harold Macy’s Crown Land wood lots. The white cones we picked up are designed to protect newly planted trees (all marked by the pink, biodegradable flags). Harold asked if we could help clean up the mess. Once recovered, he put them in storage for re-use.
“In addition to the white cones, our group cleaned up over 300-kilograms (almost 700 pounds) of garbage. One important lesson we learned was that it’s important to separate your metal before you go to the dump. Bring two trucks if possible. I also brought along a bunch of old feed bags to use as trash bags. They were stronger, easier to carry, and the metal didn’t punch through. My advice? Start saving your old feed bags for a couple of months, if you plan an Earth Day clean up.”
The NVI cleanup crew.
Benefits of Belonging To Back Country Horsemen:
Don’t let our name fool you! At least half our members are women. Many members don’t ride the back country and some don’t even own horses … but all support our Mission and the work we do. Be sure to check out our website to learn more about membership! Note: All members must also hold membership with Horse Council BC or other affiliated organizations.
Compiled by Terri Perrin, with contributions from our Alberni, Central Vancouver Island & North Vancouver Island chapters
BCHBC is privileged to have Saddle Up Magazine as ‘the official voice’ of our province-wide organization. We value this partnership and encourage you to check out Saddle Up magazine online and consider supporting this BC-based publication by purchasing a subscription. You may also pick up printed copies of Saddle Up in 156 cities/towns with 340 outlets, mainly in BC and Alberta, as well as other parts of Canada and the US. It’s free!
Read the February issue of Saddle Up, including the BCHBC story. Or enjoy our feature story here.
