Stewardship Pemberton Society’s (SPS) Fruit Tree Project is once again in full swing, offering to pick fruit for landowners who don’t have the time this season. The project aims to remove bear attractants in Pemberton while educating locals on the nature that surrounds them. It also reduces food waste and stocks people’s pantries for fall.
The fruit picked is spread equally between three groups. One third is given back to the owners, a third is given to the volunteers, and a third is donated to the food bank. Pique recently participated in one of these innovative harvests, and the sense of community in the air was palpable.
Kids were running around excited to see how much they could pick, while the adults made new friends over the task at hand. SPS’ Mojca Gomol is the leader of this year’s team of eager volunteers.
Gomol studied agriculture in university, making her the ideal candidate for the job. She told Pique the project has benefited the entire community. “The idea is that we try to keep the bears away from the town so that they don’t get killed, essentially,” she said. “When you remove the attractants from the village, the bears don’t come, because there is nothing for them.”
Pemberton homeowners can still reap the benefits of this project and keep bears from coming into their gardens. “We post on social media and then the owners contact us,” said Gomol. “I usually schedule the harvest ahead. When the fruit has ripened, I let the volunteers know. We meet at a location, pick up the crew and everything we need.”
Gomol believes the project has prevented bears from being killed this year, and has educated locals on staying bear aware. “We have seen so many benefits,” she said. “This year we had zero waste. We didn’t waste any fruit. We donated everything. There were actually less bears killed this year. I think this project might have helped keep them away. The project has been going for over five years. It is also educating people who just came to town.”
The group’s social media also reminds families to check on their own garbage situation and to think about the bear attractants around their home. “A lot of people are not aware of how dangerous it is to leave food outside,” said Gomol. “Once people see our posts on Facebook and Instagram, they start to think about it.”
Just getting outdoors after a long day of being cooped up inside has been important for volunteers of all ages. “For me, it’s really important that I encourage kids to come,” said Gomol. “It’s important for them to learn. I try and make it fun because then the kids learn where their food comes from.”
The harvests are also a great way for newcomers to meet likeminded neighbours. “I got to meet so many amazing members of the community,” said Gomol. “Some days when we bring fruit to the food bank, the previous batch is already gone by then.”
Sometimes, the bears themselves cannot help but get involved in the exciting project. “We had nine or 10 harvests on Collins Road,” said Gomol. “We would pick a tree and then the bears would just come and pick the other trees.”
Homeowners and volunteers alike can still get involved in the project by emailing Mojca at [email protected].
Find more info at stewardshippembertonsociety.com.
