Photo: Erick Thompson

Twenty-one people got together to clean up the Trout Creek area of Summerland over the weekend.

This was the eighth time the Trout Creek Community Association has held these events, which take place once in the spring and once in the fall.

Organizers say this most recent event went well, after picking up about 25 bags full of garbage.

"I think it went very well," said Erick Thompson of the TCCA. "This is our eighth time that we've done this, and we always get a very good turnout, creates a nice sense of community, and we always pick up a surprising amount of garbage."

Thompson said the group tends to find some odd things by the highway, though he's not sure whether the items are tossed from cars passing by or if they wind up there by other means.

"We found a big, huge chunk of fibreglass insulation, usually there's some miscellaneous items," he said. "We found a tire and a hubcap, and a lot of it we find along the highway."

While the District of Summerland prefers volunteers stay off the highway itself, the group does clean up on the hills near the highway.

"And you do see a surprising number of cigarette butts, which is disconcerting for a number of reasons," he said.

Thompson said he typically sees a lot of the same faces at the events, but this year a family turned up with children to help out.

"That's always nice when people bring young people out," he said. "I think it's a good way to instill some stewardship in young people."

The cleanup was organized by the Trout Creek Community Association, while the District of Summerland provided garbage bags and safety vests.

The district also picks up the garbage after the cleanup.