Friends of Shades Creek
Upcoming Events
Thank you for helping with our fall 2021 annual Shades Creek Cleanup. If you couldn’t join us September 25, there is still opportunity to help. Email: [email protected] about locations and to get supplies.
Thursday, November 11, 2021 – Monthly educational meeting with Jack West at the Alabama Rivers Alliance, via Zoom – sign up: [email protected]
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 . . .
Next Educational Monthly Meeting
October 14, 7:00 – Via Zoom
Presentation with David Butler: Cahaba Riverkeeper
A mother of three once created memories with her children fishing and swimming in the pristine waters of the Cahaba. A generation later, her grandchildren were not allowed to swim there because the water quality was so compromised. That led to starting The Cahaba Riverkeeper. A Zoom presentation. Sign up for meetings by email: [email protected]
>More about Cahaba Riverkeeper
>Link for all 2021 programs:
Lakeshore Drive in 1914
(from Shades Creek book)
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.
Forest Planting with Centennial Trees
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 seedling plantings in November in collaboration with Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Samford University and the City of Homewood Environmental Commission.
>See more details: