Friends of Shades Creek
Upcoming Events
Thank you for helping with our fall 2021 annual Shades Creek Cleanup. We had 138 people participate this year with our Shades Creek Cleanup and Restoration projects.
Thursday, December 9, 2021 – Monthly educational meeting with Jeff Newman – underground in Birmingham mines, via Zoom – sign up: [email protected] to get Zoom link.
>Sign up for weekly E-Messages – information, activities, hikes, videos and more: [email protected]
2021 Shades Creek Fall Cleanup and Restoration Projects
The Fall 2021 Shades Creek Cleanup was held in person with small groups of time staggered volunteers, for social distancing. If you couldn’t join us on September 25, you can still help clean up Shades Creek. Email: [email protected] about locations and supplies for your cleanup. Job choices include: picking up trash, invasive removal, weed whacking, and other options.
>Our 23rd Fall Cleanup – Clean-up photos for 2021 and more:
Mr. Shadey is telling us a lot about trash in Shades Creek – Find out more here:
Photo by Tom Mann, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
Salamander Festival
The next Salamander Festival is scheduled for Saturday, January 29, 2022. More details to come later. The 2021 (17th) Annual Salamander Festival took place virtually January 30, 2021 through February. Click here for 2021 Salamander Festival video links. Also photos from 2020, 16th annual Festival . . .
Underground Mines in Birmingham
Presentation with Jeff Newman, Underground Birmingham,
who will be taking us on a pictorial journey deep inside the cold, dark and long abandoned mining tunnels that are now buried and hiding along the ridge of Birmingham’s Red Mountain, including mines at Red Mountain Park and the Shades Creek Watershed. Sign up for meetings or get Zoom link by email: [email protected]
>Link for all 2021 programs:
Shades Creek book
(Lakeshore Drive in 1914)
Did you know Lakeshore Drive in the years around 1914 was envisioned to be part of a speedway like the Indianapolis Speedway? “Shades Creek: Flowing Through Time,” written by The Birmingham Historical Society tells this story and more with over 365 photos and 216 pages including the above photo and story. Books are still available for only $30. Above photo is from the Alvin Hudson Collection, BPL Archives.
>More book information and how to order a book:
Shades Creek Watershed Management Plan
Shades Creek is beautiful, yet has challenges caused by urban runoff. The Nature Conservancy in Alabama (TNC) has taken leadership to develop a watershed plan to restore the Creek. The Shades Creek Watershed Management Plan uses EPA’s 9-step watershed planning process.
>Find meeting slides and more watershed plan information.
The Middle Way
The Homewood Valley Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton displays a mural painting in the lobby by local artist, Tres Taylor, called “The Middle Way.” The painting tells a story about local history and features salamanders with flora and fauna from the Homewood and Shades Creek area.
>Find the story here.
2021 Tree Planting on Shades Creek with Centennial Trees
300 Centennial tree seedlings were planted on Shades Creek along the Shades Creek Greenway Trail on Saturday, Nov. 13. Nearly 100 participants helped representing several local groups.
>See more plus photos.
Centennial Tree seedlings are propagated from local seed sources of trees descended from the original native forest surrounding Shades Creek. The seedlings have been grown at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Friends of Shades Creek conducts annual tree plantings.
>See more details about seedlings: