The Okanagan Forest Task Forest has created a new way to help keep the backcountry clean and it doesn’t involve members patrolling it.
“We came up with the app because not everyone can remember their GPS location, where they were. we wanted to make it as convenient as possible while you’re out there,” said OFTF founder, Kane Blake.
It’s the Okanagan Forest Task Force app, where backcountry users can report an area that needs attention, and OFTF members will be notified.
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“If you come across a dump site and you open up our app it’ll drop a GPS pin and fill in your GPS coordinates automatically, you can pick whether it’s illegal dumping or restricted access,” said Blake.
This app was seven years in the making, the brainchild of Blake and the tech creator, Dan Carter, who was inspired by his interests.
“I do a lot of fly fishing around here and I was sick of seeing all the garbage and, I have a toolset so I wanted to apply that to a good cause,” said Carter.
The user-friendly app operates so that a report can still be made regardless of cell service.
“You can go out in the woods, use it wherever you want, when you get back into cell range it’ll sync up and update our website and show the data there,” said Carter.
The OFTF app is available in the Apple app store. The Android version is expected to be launched in the coming weeks.
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