The Lake Country Environmental Society really emerged from it’s shell in the summer of 1989 following several meetings of citizens from Winfield, Okanagan Centre and Oyama who had voiced concerns about the environment, particularly locally. As is usual with a new group like this they were ambitious and ready to address and tackle all the problems of the environment-air, water, land, pollution etc. However, realizing that, as keen as the group was, trying to “change the world” was a tough assignment and wisely focused on one concern. This, because it was in the news a lot at the time, was recycling and so the group started here.
Our name, Lake Country Environmental Society, was adopted at a public meeting in September 1989.
The one person mobilizing force to put recycling up front in the public eye was Jane Pekrul who gathered a volunteer force and the society started a mobile recycling depot for, and in, Lake Country. Members contributed trucks, trailers and their time to make the project a success and due to the huge support from households, eventually the Regional District took over and Lake Country’s first permanent satellite station went into operation. Today, your recycling is collected right from your door. And now you know the rest of the story.
The first annual general meeting of the society was held February 8, 1990 at Okanagan Centre Hall and elected were: President Bob Hayward, Vice President Ed Culley, Secretary Matt Treger, Treasurer Kevin Bowles and five directors.
The society has been actively involved with the schools who now all have environment clubs and as part of their education put on active projects such as planting trees, clean-up day, creek and lake clean-ups, storm drain marking and environmental science classes.
For many years The Calendar carried the Envirofile, articles covering the gamut of ecological and environmental subjects, contributed by Ed Culley. The Society is a member of the B.C. Environmental Network which itself is affiliated to the Canadian Environmental Network. The society also works closely witht the District of Lake Country, which is constantly being faced with issues affecting our local environment, including advice on developments potentially encroaching on environmentally sensitive areas.
The society also has liaisons with other organizations including Earthcare Canada, Oceola Fish and Game Club, Lake Stewardship Society, B.C. naturalists, Central Okanagan Regional District Waste Management and has representatives on Parks and Management. A just completed project, in collaboration with Lorne Daview of Geostream Environmental Consulting, has produced a Watershed Report Card template that will be used to evaluate our lakes and streams. We are encouraged the Okanagan College plans to incorporate the concept into their curriculum in 2012.
For further information regarding our Society we invite you to call Ruth at 250-766-2027 or Stan at 250-766-9034.
Stan Brynjolfson
President LCES