From The Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — Nearly 100 volunteers showed up for a cleanup event organized by the Friends of Pinchgut Creek in order to dispose of litter, trash and debris from the area.
The Cahaba headwaters cleanup event on April 2nd was the biggest cleanup event Friends of Pinchgut Creek has ever organized. The volunteers worked for two hours collecting litter, tires, and large debris from local waterways and surrounding drainage areas.
“Keeping the Cahaba Headwaters clean is very important to the Friends of Pinchgut Creek, as trash that enters the water here can make it all the way down to Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico,” said Alexander Dowell, the president of Friends of Pinchgut Creek. “It all starts with us. The best part is seeing the kids getting out in the waterways and helping. They are learning how to be good stewards of their community.”
The effort to maintain the area around the Cahaba remains ongoing, and events like the cleanup on April 2 can show people just what it takes to keep the area in condition.
“When our cleanup events are completed people are always amazed by how much trash we collected. Much of it comes from parking lot run-off and drainage ditches,” said Jean Cox, who helped organize the event. “We try to stop the litter before it ever makes it into our creeks and rivers. But we still clean a good bit out of the water each time, and every time it rains more washes in. We have organized 5 large group events since 2019 and we still have a need for events like this. It is wonderful to see the how much cleaner our local waterways are now versus 3 years ago. When we take our kids on river walks we can see the results of these events, and it feels good to know we are all making a difference.”
Events like this run on volunteer help. Without them, maintaining the area would be much more difficult.
“Our volunteers are amazing,” Cox said. “These people are happy to help and they work with big smiles on their faces. If you want to be proud of this community, just show up at one of our cleanups and you will see how great the spirit of volunteerism is here. “