Hurricane Creek Cleanup A Huge Success!

What A Crew for the 2011 

Hurricane Creek Cleanup!

The 2011 annual Hurricane Creek Cleanup came off today without a hitch and a better turnout than anyone expected.

About 60 volunteers showed up to haul trash out of the roadside bushes, ditches and out of the creek, via canoe.

Everyone had a good time, which is mandatory.

Dr. Doug Phillips showed up with his film crew to begin filming for a documentary on Hurricane Creek to air on PBS, Discovering Alabama 

Our longest standing member and benefactor, Mr. Jimmy Watson was on hand to help us out also. Mr. Watson and his wife own the land on which we stage the event and host many events throughout the year. He was interviewed for the documentary and got to tell our favorite fish story about Hurricane Creek and the old Keene Mill. ( I can't tell it like Jimmy so you will have to tune when released, date will be announced on our web site.)

It was great to see a lot of our old friends show up but even more exciting was the number of new and youthful faces this year.

Dr. Julia Cherry heads up New College at the University of Alabama and has been a tremendous asset to the group by inspiring the students to take projects on the creek for research and training.

It has always been a conviction of mine that the youth of America is where the salvation of the American environment lies if it is possible. It will be up to the next generation to put into action a new way of thinking about our planet. That is why it is so fulfilling to me to see so many who come back with new friends.

 

A cleanup or any organization is only as good as the people who support the effort. I am very proud to work for a board of directors who not only support the work on the creek but they also support the events in a big way.

Without a doubt, the volunteer of the day award, if we had one, would go to Mike Johns, our board president's husband. No one worked harder or with a bigger grin than he!