The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), TimberWest and the Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club (NMBC) hosted a community Open House and Earth Day Clean-Up event at Doumont Trails on Sunday, April 29th. More than 80 volunteers helped to clear the land of 5360 KG (5.6 tonnes) of illegally dumped garbage, household supplies, building material, and garden waste. The waived-tipping fees came to $669.75.
“The Doumont trail area is a well-known illegal dumping site, and as part of our access agreement with TimberWest and the Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club we see value in working together on a public awareness campaign about the importance of keeping the land clean and green,” says RDN Chair Bill Veenhof. “In fact, we often partner with local groups to waive their tipping fees if they are doing a community clean up. Reach out to us and let us know if you are planning on hosting a clean-up and we can see how we can help.”
The RDN and NMBC have an Access Agreement in place with TimberWest for the Doumont Trails area, allowing for the RDN Biosolids program, and safe, legal recreational access for NMBC members.
“Doumont is a high-value destination for mountain bikers and hikers. The area is home to over 40 mountain bike trails that we’ve adopted through an access agreement with TimberWest, and there are hundreds of users each week accessing that network,” says, Dana Wacker of NMBC. “We’re just around the corner from what’s likely to be a record-setting year for mountain bike tourism in the region, and this clean -up will help us ensure Nanaimo is in great shape to welcome guests from near and afar. It’s imperative to keep these trails safe, clean, and usable, now and into the future.
“The clean-up event saw young and old come together for a good cause and learn about how to dispose of items responsibility – like invasive plant species,” says, Monica Bailey, director of communications at TimberWest. “Several invasive species were found dumped in garden refuse. This has a direct ecological impact and can alter our forests forever. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported this event, and congratulations to all the prize winners.”
In total, more than $1,000 in prizes were raffled. Several members of the community received gifts like recreational passes, free camping, and mountain bike equipment. Thank you to SYLVIS, Arrowsmith Bikes, Coal City Cycle, and Starbucks for sponsoring and supporting the event.