Decades after helping launch the original National Wild Turkey Federation chapter in the Pell City area, Barnett Lawley was honored by a new generation of conservationists during the Logan Martin Longbeards’ sold-out Hunting Heritage Banquet at the Pell City Civic Center.
“Barnett has done so much for the state and the county to promote conservation efforts here,” said chapter President Jim Tollison.
“He started the first chapter here. When I was helping organize the chapter again, I did not know he organized the original chapter or what he called it. I ended up picking the exact same name he used – Logan Martin Longbeards.
Board members and organizers Tracy Marcus, Rodney Bunt, Jim Tollison, Brooke Tollison, Tim Smith, Brittany Smith, Karlee Tucker, Logan Tucker, Hanna Grogan and Cameron Edge
“When I found all that out, I said we need to thank him for that” and everything else he has done. “There is no telling how many kids from around here he has taken turkey hunting over the years. Some of them are the same people who are donors and sponsors for this event now. His efforts back then are still helping conservation and the NWTF today.”
Tollison was quick to point out it is not just Barnett, but everyone in his family who deserves thanks for supporting the community.
“He was teaching about conservation, and his wife, Deanna, was teaching students in the classroom. She probably is one of the main reasons I went to college. She kept encouraging me to go. This organization and event, it’s been a great situation having the Lawleys involved,” Tollison said.
The sold-out event moved to a larger venue this year at the Pell City Civic Center, raising more than $40,000 for the program, which covers everything from promoting conservation and hunting to education efforts, including local scholarships, Tollison said.
Participants entering in drawings to win everything from coolers to custom firearms
“We now have money in hand for scholarships, we just need people here to apply. And these scholarships can be used not just for four-year colleges, but for two-year degrees and trade schools, whatever path the students choose.”
Tollison and his wife, Brooke, thanked everyone who supported the Logan Martin Longbeards and the banquet.
“The Pell City Civic Center turned out to be a great venue. We will probably be holding it here again next year. They did a great job working with Hanna Grogan on our board to coordinate set up,” he said. “Complete Catering Company and Mandy Camp also did an amazing job with the food. It’s the only banquet I have ever been to that served turkey. It wasn’t wild, but it was good.
“Everything was well received. Thanks to our sponsors, we were able to give out 24 guns this year. Brian at BG Customs and Engraving put together several guns for us. GNX Gun Exchange and Coosa Guns also contributed,” he said.
The audience applauds all the sponsors
“Thanks to the support of GNX, BG Customs and Coosa Guns we are able to have some very high-quality firearms with some finishes only available at this event.”
Because the banquet is family friendly, every child who came got to take part in a raffle, Brooke, who runs an Alfa agency in Pell City, said. “We gave out $500 worth of stuff to all the kids. They had a great time.”
And that’s the point, Jim said.
“It’s not just about raising money. We wanted to have a fun and successful event that also promotes the National Wild Turkey Federation and conservation efforts,” he said.
“We have a great team putting this event on, and it continues to grow. If you see one of the board members and are interested in being involved let them know.”
Follow the Logan Martin Longbeards on Facebook and the National Wild Turkey Federation online at nwtf.org.
For more than a decade, on a small piece of God’s good earth, folks here have found sustenance for the body and solace for the soul.
The precious piece of ground is known as Pell City Gateway Community Garden, where a small cadre of volunteers tends to the one-acre field that yields a growing harvest to help the hungry.
The garden has a natural garden area where organizers have recently planted Alabama native plants. The nature sacred area, said Gateway Director Renee Lilly, “Is a really a big deal,” “The Nature Sacred program is a national program created for people of all faiths by the Nature Sacred Foundation. They wanted to create places where people could be meditative.”
Founded by an Iowa couple, Kitty and Tom Stoner, the aim is to create more green spaces in communities to ease the fatigue and clamor of modern life. The idea took root some three decades ago after the Stoners moved to the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area. Now known as Sacred Places, the sites “serve as a kind of a healing poultice for people to regain balance as an antidote to stress,” according to the website, naturesacred.org.
The Pell City Gateway Community Garden was established in 2014 on the former Avondale Mills site near downtown Pell City. It later moved to land across from St. Simon Peter Episcopal Church at 3705 Mays Bend Road.
While organizers want the Gateway community garden to be the sacred space, it also holds fast to the mission of raising fresh food – like kale, collards and cabbage in winter. Everything harvested from the garden is donated to the local food pantry and senior center.
At the end of the year 2025 The Anniston-based Northeast Alabama Community Foundation provided an emergency grant to boost a food drive because last winter, the federal government put a hold on funding for the SNAP food assistance program. “They (the foundation) have been good to us,” Lilly said.
Food insecurity and affordability have added to the urgency of the work of the garden, Lilly said. It brings to mind the Victory Gardens that sprouted across the nation during World War I.
But the garden’s vision isn’t simply to grow food, but to grow gardeners as well. “We’ll still provide harvest for the places where we provide food, but it’s like teaching people to fish,” Lilly said.
Lillian Olin-Sanchez, April Sanders, Audrey Sanders, Charlena Miller, Riley Robinson and Tia Glanze learning to garden
“If we teach people to garden, they can provide for their own needs, making people self-reliant and showing them they can grow food in a very small space,” said Gateway Community Gaden President Rebel Negley.
The garden produces food grown without the use of pesticides, said Negley, who at one time worked in the food industry. “That will really open your eyes. There are so many chemicals that are banned in European countries that (the American food industry) continues to use. That’s why we’ve been passionate about growing fresh food,” she said.
“We live in a society, where increasingly, people don’t know where their food comes from. A lot of kids eat canned foods, and they eat frozen stuff,” Negley said. “There’s nothing wrong with that sometimes. But our mission is to teach people where their food comes from. Good nutrition is not as affordable, unless you grow it yourself. It takes a village to make a community garden work.”
That’s why organizers are looking for people to invest their time to make the garden and its sacred space flourish.
“We need people. We need volunteers. We need teachers who want to teach, and we need administrative people. It’s not just tilling the soil. It’s administrative work as well,” Lilly said. “We need social media and marketing help. If you can show up, we’ll find something for you to do,” Lilly said.
The garden has the support of two local churches, St. Simon Peter Episcopal Church along with First United Methodist Church of Pell City.
Gateway is also collaborating with similar successful programs like Sylacauga Grows community garden in Sylacauga.
Sacred Space bench lures visitors to find solace in nature
While food for the body is a critical part of the Gateway mission, so is nourishment for the soul.
“The sacred space is a place where you can reflect,” Lilly said. “There is a journal underneath a wooden bench in the garden where people can sit and write and listen to the birds and see the beautiful plants that are in the nature area. They’re also able to see all the growing vegetables in our growing garden. People need to see that it’s a special place.”
The garden now flourishes with cucumber plants, okra, beans, potatoes – sweet, red and white – heading toward a seasonal harvest. The garden has produced some 30,000 pounds of food in its history.
Volunteers like Lilly and Negley haven’t just learned lessons about working the land, but also about themselves.
“One of the most important things is that any one of us could be food insecure at any given moment,” Negley said. “It doesn’t matter where you live or how much you have. Things can change, and you can find yourself with food insecurity. And there’s so much satisfaction in growing your own food because you know where it comes from, and you have excitement through the efforts in growing a garden. It’s a stress reliever. It’s peaceful.”
Lilly, who knew food insecurity as a child, recalled last December’s food drive. “I spoke to every person who came through our line,” she said. “People that were educators, people who had lost their husbands or had just lost their jobs. The feeling that you are able to help people. We all need to love one another and take care of each other.”
Gateway Community Garden has a Facebook page, and donations may be sent to Pell City Gateway Community Garden, P.O. Box 17, Pell City.AL 35125.
“Come see us,” Negley said. “See what we’re doing and if you want to get involved,” Negley said. “It takes all of us just working together to make the garden work.”
From Pell City Gateway Community Garden, hope – like the flowers and vegetables – is blossoming, even in these difficult days. And so is something comforting to be found here, Lilly said. “There is good in the world, and there are people who are kind.”
Fast paced, exciting dog agility trial takes center ring at arena
Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Bob Crisp
Four-footed competitors from across the Southeast headed to Odenville in April for an action-packed event at what has become a destination point for events as diverse and wide-ranging as the organizers who plan them.
St. Clair County Arena and Event Center has played host to everything from rodeos and circuses to vintage markets and truck shows. And in April, dogs of all shapes and sizes took to the arena filled with jumps, tunnels, weave poles and what planners called “plenty of tail-wagging excitement.”
Spectators, dog lovers and handlers came together for three days of Greater Birmingham Agility Club’s Spring Into Agility Trial, a mixture of a qualifying run for further competition, fine-tuning skills or simply sharing time with other dog agility enthusiasts. Organizers billed it as “a weekend of fast dogs, great runs, and even better community.”
Dog agility is “a dynamic and fast-paced canine sport where dogs navigate through a timed obstacle course, showcasing their agility, speed, and teamwork with their handlers,” according to GBAC’s website.
“Yes, your dog can definitely participate in dog agility,” GBAC added, “and we welcome all breeds, both mixed and pure, to join the excitement and fun of agility training and competitions.”
Agility training involves obstacle courses, obedience drills and agility trials.
When the day is done, the final hurdle crossed and a clean jump through the ring is made, it comes down to connections – the bond between dog and handler. Through this sport, that bond is promoted, strengthened and on display for all to see.
The next Odenville event is Nov. 15-17 for GBAC’s Fall Trial. Club officials are already looking forward to it, noting that the 100 x 100-foot ring offers plenty of room for “exciting and challenging courses for the dogs to navigate.
“This event promises an exhilarating experience for both competitors and spectators, making it a must-attend for the agility community.”
“We’ve really enjoyed working with the Greater Birmingham Agility Club and have had a great response from them about hosting events at the Arena,” said Public/Recreation Asset Manager Ashley Hay. “We try to work closely with every group that uses the facility to make sure we’re meeting their specific needs, especially when it comes to footing and ground preparation.”
She noted that dog agility trials have very specific requirements, “and we’re happy to accommodate those details, just like we would for any group using the space. Seeing them choose to return is a great sign that the partnership is working.”
The goal of the center complex and campus has centered on creating a facility that serves the community and evolves alongside the needs of the people and organizations using it.
“We want groups to know we’re listening and willing to adapt where we can,” she said. “In fact, groups like GBAC have helped shape some of our future improvements.” She credits their hosting of multi-day events and bringing participants in from outside the area with reinforcing the need for RV and trailer hookups, “which we’re now working to add.”
Hay also talked of the overall interest in the Arena continuing to grow. “More people realize it’s more than just a place that hosts rodeos. We’ve had great interest across a wide variety of events, from dog agility and vintage markets to equestrian events and community gatherings. It’s been exciting to see people discover new uses for the space and reinforces our belief that the Arena can continue growing as a place that brings together a wide range of interests across our community.”
Editor’s Note: The St. Clair Arena and Event Center is located at 100 Arena Drive, Odenville. Learn more about the facilities at: stclairco.recdesk.com
Not long after they had their first child in 2017, Kiley and Josh Morrison started wondering about the food they were giving him. They worried about where it came from, the chemicals it contained, and whether or not it would affect their son’s future health.
After doing some research, they weren’t happy about what they learned. So they planted a vegetable garden, got a milk cow, and vowed to make changes for the good of their family.
Atticus is raising quail
Nearly 10 years later, what started out as parents’ intuition has morphed into Earnest Roots Farm in Ashville, which offers pasture-raised beef, chicken, pork, and other food that was “produced the way God intended.” No GMOs, antibiotics, hormones, or synthetic chemicals are used, Josh said. Instead, they practice regenerative agriculture to produce healthy soil, which produces better grass, leading to healthier animals. The result, he said, is nutrient-rich foods with superior flavor.
“What’s at the end of your fork determines your health,” Josh said. “If you know your farmer, you know your food. It’s not just about taste, it’s about what you’re putting in your body,” Kiley added. It’s a lifestyle they’re willing to bet the farm on because they’ve seen the benefits of a healthier food system firsthand.
“We weren’t always foodies,” Josh said. “We didn’t care what we ate. I drank Mountain Dew like it was going out of style.”
Josh grew up with migraine headaches, some so severe he had to be hospitalized. While in a neurologist’s office one day, he flipped through a health magazine because it was the only reading material available. “There was an article about how your body needs water for your organs to work properly,” he said.
Josh decided to give it a try and vowed to drink only water. “I started seeing changes within several months,” he said. “Within two years I wasn’t having any more headaches, and this was something that had plagued me for 30-something years.”
Although their original goal was to provide the best food for their family, the Morrisons quickly realized that other folks wanted to do that, as well. As a result, they’ve steadily grown their business and their desire to be local farmers that people can trust.
Much of that trust comes from transparency. In addition to offering farm tours “so people can see that we do what we say we’re doing,” they have a YouTube channel with videos about everything from their farming practices to recipes and instructions for cutting up a whole chicken or making homemade butter.
Andrew Jones offers a blessing before everyone eats at Market Day
In 2024, they started hosting monthly Market Days with educational demonstrations and local vendors selling everything from honey, jams and jellies, sourdough bread, tinctures and oils, soap candles, and all-natural dog treats. They also sell their chicken, beef, pork, lamb, and quail, as well as offerings like fresh eggs, bourbon pepper bacon, garlic pepper brats, and maple brown sugar breakfast patties.
Market Days were so popular that they now host a farm market every Friday in addition to their shipping and local delivery options. “We’ve just continued to steadily improve it,” Kiley said. “We’ve learned a lot along the way, and God continues to open doors for us. We couldn’t do this without the tremendous support of the community.”
Deep roots
Kiley, a third-generation farmer, grew up on the family farm where she and Josh are now raising 9-year-old Augustus and Atticus, 6. Her grandfather, Ernest Ostrowski, was a dairy farmer in Wisconsin before moving to Alabama and marrying Kiley’s grandmother, June, a cattle farmer. Phillip Byram, Kiley’s father, was 16 when his mother married Ernest, and he has lived on the family farm, where he raises beef cattle, since he was 10. Phillip’s wife, Sharon, who passed away in 2020, was a farmer, as well.
Although Kiley loved growing up on the farm, she had no plans to end up there herself. She and Josh, who grew up in Altoona, met online 20 years ago, and they both attended Gadsden State before marrying and pursuing civil engineering degrees at the University of Alabama.
Kiley and Josh found jobs in the telecommunications field – she was in management with an engineering company in Birmingham, and he started designing fiber telecommunications. She traveled a lot and loved her job, but the lure of a simpler life eventually began to take hold.
“I wanted to be home and have a family and be grounded,” she said. “It took getting away from the farm to realize what a blessing it was to be able to live on the farm. It’s not something I take for granted.”
She realized she wanted her kids to have the same experiences she had, so they returned to Ashville and bought her grandparents’ farm, which was 10 minutes from her father’s farm. Although the plan was to focus on homesteading and self-sufficiency, they soon began selling beef, chicken and pork at a farmer’s market in Gadsden, which they did for two or three years. Business was good, so they launched a website just about the time the Covid pandemic started.
Culinary students Braden Godwin and Max Smith; Joey Duke of Aquality Farms; Meigan Tucker of ECTC; Josh and Kiley Morrison; and Anna Warren of The BFIT Bakery
“All of a sudden, people didn’t want to go to grocery stores; they wanted to go to their local farmer,” Kiley said. They set up local pickup points so customers could place orders online and pick it up later at a convenient location. “We did that for the community, and a lot of people took advantage of that,” she said.
The shipping side of the business grew quickly, and in 2021 they sold Ernest’s farm and bought a farmhouse and 10 acres (they recently added another 40 acres) adjacent to Phillip’s 180-acre cattle farm. Kiley’s sister and brother-in-law, Molly and Andrew Jones, live on the farm, as well, and the five of them work together to make Earnest Roots a reality. “Kiley and I are just really the faces” of the operation, Josh said. “It’s very much a family endeavor.”
The farm’s name is a nod to Ernest and the family’s deep farming history. Ernest and June taught Phillip to farm, and they taught Kiley and Molly, Josh explained. When he and Andrew joined the family and “didn’t know jack diddly about farming, they taught us, as well,” he said.
They changed the spelling from Ernest to Earnest as a nod to the future. “If you look in Webster’s dictionary, one of the definitions for ‘earnest’ is a promise of things to come,” Josh said. “As we grow, as we learn and diversify, we’re adding more and more products for our family and yours,” he said.
Future fruits
Market Day at the farm
They’re also raising what likely will be another generation of farmers. “They’re the reason we started this,” Josh said as he watched their boys run across the pasture.
The days are long. Josh is still designing fiber telecommunications in addition to his work on the farm. Kiley homeschools the boys while juggling her many roles. The boys get up early every morning to feed the chickens while Josh milks cows.
And they wouldn’t have it any other way. “I love that we’re raising them here where I was raised and that they’re getting their hands dirty and learning that it doesn’t hurt to work hard,” she said. “Never in a million years would I have thought that we would be here. There were a lot of steps between our original goals and where we are now, but God was laying the groundwork. He put us where we need to be without a shadow of a doubt.”
Historic Springville Rock School will once again focus on education
Story and Photos by Graham Hadley Architectural renderings Courtesy of Stewart Knox Centercut Creative
Springville’s old Rock School has always been a cornerstone for education and community activities in the region. So it should be no surprise future plans for the historic structure continue that tradition.
The Big Canoe Creek Preserve Partners will be developing parts of the building as an educational Nature Center – an immersive and interactive walk-through experience highlighting the natural wonders of the preserve and surrounding areas to help better educate people of all ages about the importance of the regional biome.
“The Nature Center will teach people about all the diverse animals and plants in the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve, all the biodiversity, the Big Canoe Creek watershed and what a watershed actually is,” said Preserve Manager Doug Morrison.
Concept designs from Centercut Creative on what the Nature Center will look like
The project will use between 1,200 to 1,900 square feet of space in the historic Springville building. Some of that space is already being put to use as office space for the Preserve staff, which was previously primarily operating out of a small building at the preserve.
The idea for the educational Nature Center came to Morrison a little over a year ago during a planning and zoning meeting.
“The Springville Preservation Society owns the building and has done a great job restoring it. They needed to rezone the property to properly make use of it. During one of the zoning meetings where that was being discussed, the idea for the center just came to me. The old school would be ideal for that,” Morrison said.
“It gives us room for the Nature Center, office space, handicapped parking and has a ramp for ADA compliance. It checks all the boxes. The Preservation Society remodeled it and were looking to lease it.” The Rock School has been a centerpiece of the community for decades. “My son used to do Scouts here years ago,” Morrison said.
Frank Waid, president of the Preservation Society, told Morrison they had the big room and some other space available for lease, and things started coming together.
Community support has been instrumental to the success of Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve, and this latest project is no different.
Doug Morrison in front of the blackboard in the Rock School where organizers brainstormed ideas for the center
Morrison is quick to point out how much help he, Education Coordinator Lucy Cleaver, Maintenance Tech Jake Tucker and the others who work to make the preserve such an amazing place, receive from the non-profit Preserve Partners. It was organized to handle fundraising and similar activities for the preserve. From the Board of Directors to the individuals and businesses that donate, along with the City of Springville, none of what they are doing would be possible without that collective support.
Shortly after discussing the idea with Frank Waid, Morrison was sitting in Nichols Nook drinking coffee with Justen Burns when he shared the vision for the Nature Center. Burns immediately responded, “I might be interested in helping out with that.” His company, Peritus Wealth Management, quickly stepped up to cover a portion of the lease expenses.
Granger Waid and his company, Norris Paving, also jumped on board to cover the remaining portion of the lease, saying, “I believe in what they are doing here.”
“We have the first year of the lease taken care of thanks to these good folks in our community,” Morrison said. “And thanks to other donors in the community and the Alabama Power Foundation, we are already accumulating funds for next year’s lease. If anyone would like to contribute to the Nature Center and the Preserve, donations can be made through our website at bigcanoecreekpreserve.org. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful support in this community, and we are extremely grateful.”
Once they had the fundamental pieces in place, things started moving quickly. Morrison and Cleaver have already moved into their new offices, making use of much-needed space for managing the preserve and planning for its future.
Morrison, Cleaver, Granger and Jessica Waid sat down after discussing the project and, using one of the old blackboards in the school’s big room, Granger mapped out exactly what their vision was.
What they have come up with is something very special for the city and the region.
“We have a guy, Stewart Knox with Centercut Creative, doing the master plan for the Nature Center,” Morrison said.
“He was involved in parts of the Natureplex at the Alabama Nature Center in Millbrook. I really like their 3D and interactive displays, especially this giant beehive you can go into. I want to have displays like that here.”
The walk-in behive display at the Natureplex in Millbrook designed by Stewart Knox
Knox, an Auburn graduate with a degree in industrial design, said it is “all concept-based design.” His work has focused on special projects – like the beehive at the Natureplex. “I am very hands-on; you have to be with this. I am good at coming up with complex plans.”
According to the design proposal Knox has put together, “The design will highlight the mission of Big Canoe Creek through storytelling, visual engagement and hands-on learning, while maintaining flexibility for future growth and programming.”
It incorporates free-standing and wall-mounted displays, interactive 3D installations and more. Knox refers to it as “nature’s classroom.”
Morrison said that they would also like to possibly have live animals at the center – “fish and turtles, maybe snakes. People have already started donating fish tanks that I need to go pick up.”
They also want to include displays about how the local native people lived in the area and others about community involvement in the Preserve and the conservation process.
This display case was originally in Laster Sundries
“It goes to our core ideals: Preserve, Explore, Discover,” Morrison said. “When you educate people about everything that makes up the biome here, those are going to be the people who want to help preserve it.”
Morrison sees other parts of Springville and the county working with the center. “Lucy is already putting together plans with the Springville Library to collaborate on educational programs. And we have two other businesses leasing space in the school – a photographer and an artist. I can see both of those being very much resources we can collaborate with.”
The Nature Center and the Preserve are the sort of big-picture projects that benefit the area by attracting people to Springville from all across the region and the state, he said.
The Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve is already doing just that. This past Christmas, more than 1,200 people came through the preserve to see the holiday light display called “Christmas in the Pines,” an event that Morrison expects to grow next year.
“This was a great idea from Lucy and working with Jake, myself and our many volunteers, it turned out to be a huge success. People loved it!” And the Nature Center is only one of several projects attached to the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve that is in the works, including an education and multi-use pavilion. All of which, Morrison reiterated, are made possible through the support they receive from the city, Preserve Partners, grantors and many others who are working to make the preserve and center successful regional destination points.
Changes, innovation, expanded education on the horizon for nature preserve
Story by Paul South Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted photos
“Come to the woods, for here is rest.” — John Muir, American naturalist
Even in late August on the banks of Big Canoe Creek, change was in the air. Doug Morrison can see it from his side porch as he sips his morning coffee.
Leaves turned red, yellow and gold. Some even surrendered without a fight to the coming autumn. Soon, a crisp chill will be at home in the air, exciting stuff after months of heat and humidity.
But for Morrison, manager of Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve, nature isn’t the only architect of transformation. There are exciting human changes coming this fall to the 422-acre preserve in Springville, part of Alabama’s Forever Wild lands.
The preserve, one of the most biodiverse parcels of land in the nation’s fourth-most biodiverse state, has a new education coordinator, Auburn University graduate Lucy Cleaver.
“We’ve got endangered species and threatened species in the Big Canoe Creek watershed,” Morrison said. “She will be working with different educational programs. We’re about to light it up and make it happen.”
Local students learning about the animals found in the Preserve
Cleaver, a native of Salem, Ala., holds a master’s degree in natural resource management from Auburn. She assumed her current role in August but has worked for the City of Springville for about three years.
Her work extends beyond the preserve and area schoolchildren, she said, even though she’s already conducted field trips for classes.
“When people think about outdoor education, they think it’s mostly about K-12 groups,” she said.
“But it’s also my goal to reach out to our landowners in St. Clair County. It’s equally important to me to educate them as to what they can do on their own property to help our entire watershed. It’s not just about what’s going on at the preserve. I want to make sure everybody has access to the knowledge that we have.”
Cleaver also plans to partner with entities like The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Geological Survey of Alabama, St. Clair County Soil Conservation District and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service.
The preserve, which opened in 2024, boasts some eight miles of trails, including one hiking only trail (Creek Loop), two combination hiking and biking trails (the Fallen Oak and Slab Creek trails) and one combination hiking and horseback riding trail, called the Easy Rider trail.
Biodiversity on display
The magic of the preserve’s flora and fauna – even Creation’s s smallest treasures – captures the imagination of visitors.
Some examples? Consider the Canoe Creek Clubshell, a freshwater mussel found only in the Big Canoe Creek Watershed and listed as endangered on the Endangered Species List. It’s an important barometer of the health of the creek, Morrison said.
“Mussels are important to the water system because they’re livers for the river because they filter the water,” Morrison said. “They are also good bio-indicators. If they are there, it means the water hasn’t been polluted enough to kill them. Their food source comes from the water and as they ingest the water, they filter the water, thereby cleaning turbid water of sediment.”
Lucy and Doug at the cabin and preserve office
The tri-spot darter, featured on the preserve’s logo, is a threatened species. It also calls the preserve home. The small fish features three dark saddle-like markings on its back. But during the mating season, males become brightly colored reddish orange and green.
Other aquatic species in the watershed found in a tributary of the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve are the Western Blacknose Dace, a creature not documented in the area since the 1980s. A new find, the Gold Striped Darter was recently discovered, which is a rare find above the Fall Line.
For plant lovers, there are an array of blossoms – Mountain Laurel in the spring and wild azaleas are plentiful. The oak leaf hydrangea has bloomed out for the season. There are stands of Woodland Spider lilies, similar to the Cahaba Lily and a variety of irises and other wildflowers.
In the fall, Morrison said, the resplendent purple Beauty Berries are plentiful. The forest becomes more open as the leaves tumble to the ground.
“There are beautiful, big patches of old hardwoods,” Morrison said. “We have persimmons, paw paw trees, Muscadine.”
The unique finds fit the preserve’s motto, “Explore and Discover.”
An exciting journey ahead
As far as future goals for the preserve, Morrison is excited.
“We’re wide open,” he said.
An August grant of more than $335,000 from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs will help fund the construction of a new open-air educational pavilion. The project will also get a boost of nearly $84,000 in local matching funds.
The new facility will house restrooms, an area to host educational classes and general gathering space.
Initial design renderings of new pavilion
“One of our locals, Mike McCown worked diligently with me and (St. Clair Economic Development Council Grants and Leadership Director) Candice Hill on the grant application. Mike really put a lot of time and effort into this. As a matter of fact, he inserted many links to past articles in Discover (magazine)that I believe helped craft the story. Our journey speaks for itself, a journey of perseverance, faith and huge community involvement. We are beyond thrilled this will be underway soon,” Morrison said.
Also in its earliest phase, a Nature Playscape for kids crafted not from plastic, but from rock and other natural features is planned. It is hoped that the playscape will open in 18 to 24 months.
“We just got the concept plan for that created by Learning Landscapes Design,” Morrison said. “We’re waiting on the projected costs of that, and then we’ll go after grants to help build that. Hats off to donor, G.T. LaBorde, for funding the Concept Plan and coming up with the idea. This design is incredible and will be a big attraction once built. Again, more community involvement.”
Already, Cleaver has scheduled fall field trips with homeschool and other school groups from as far away as Birmingham.
When Cleaver talks about the preserve, she thinks of a spot in Slab Creek where stones like flat dominoes seem to provide a natural footbridge over the water.
“What makes (the preserve) special is there’s nothing else like it in this community,” she said. “We don’t have another nature preserve where people can go for free and go hiking or horseback riding or mountain biking. To me, it’s very special that we offer this to the community.”
With all the happenings at the preserve, Morrison and Cleaver are like kids at Christmas. Cleaver’s addition only adds to the excitement as the preserve charts a course into the future.
“It’s a great journey, and it’s a great job,” said Morrison. “We are beyond grateful for our community support.”
