During the rainy Saturday of October 14th, our chapter joined forces with Redd Fish Restoration Society & Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks to tackle Highway 4’s Kennedy lake backroads at the annual Backroads Clean.

an impressive 3,090 kg (approximately 6,813 lbs) of debris was successfully removed during the backroads clean, with an outstanding 67 kg (around 150 lbs) diverted from ending up in the landfill. This fantastic achievement was made possible by the hard work of over 30 dedicated volunteers.

Some documented items removed included 10 mattresses and 5 couches from the surrounding area. Notably, 110 pieces of hard plastic, weighing in at over 46.5 kg (roughly 100 lbs) which would have otherwise polluted the back roads was successfully collected and recorded with help from our surfrider LYBC Lead Marlayna Demco. Furthermore, 30 pieces of styrofoam, 165 aluminum cans and 90 plastic bottles were collected and recorded.

The 67kg of debris diverted from landfill and thereby recycled was credited to our partner, Ocean Legacy’ plastics depot, located at the Tofino landfill.

Overall, the 2023 Backroads Clean was a resounding success. In an exhilarating display of community spirit and environmental stewardship, the backroads clean showcased the sustainable interests towards restoring our surrounding environment on the west coast.

A massive thank you to everyone who volunteered and those who made this event possible once again. We are grateful to have been apart of such a great event and collaboration. Join us next year and be apart of the action – together, we can make our environment cleaner, greener, and more exciting than ever!