Bill McTyeire lives a few hundred yards from Big Canoe Creek in Springville, but he really had no idea what it was. Then neighbor Doug Morrison invited him to go paddling. “You can paddle there?” Bill asked.

That invitation changed Bill’s life. Now a kayak fanatic, Bill gets out on the creek whenever he has the chance, regardless of the weather, and usually taking a group of paddlers with him. Many of them are members of The Friends of Big Canoe Creek, a citizen organization dedicated to preserving the creek for all to enjoy. Doug Morrison is president of the group.

 “A lot of people are like Bill was, including me” Morrison says. “I lived on the creek for years and a good friend invited me to go paddling. I had never even thought about getting a canoe or kayak in it.  Most folks don’t really know what a treasure it is until they see our photographs or get out in it themselves. It’s just about the cleanest water you can find in the state of Alabama. It has an amazing abundance of fish and mussels and other life in it. That’s why we formed our group — to help spread the word about the creek so that more people could enjoy it and understand why it’s important to protect it.”

The organization recently helped sponsor a free training session for county residents called “Muddy Water Watch” presented by the Alabama Rivers Alliance. Attendees learned that muddy run-off during storms is one of the worst sources of pollution in Alabama rivers and can do significant harm to river life and the quality of our drinking water. They learned the process for tracking down the sources of mud pollution and what steps to take to stop it.

In May, volunteers from Friends of Big Canoe Creek attended the Springville Fishing Rodeo  bringing a sampling of the animal life from around the creek with them. With the help of some “animal ambassadors” from Springville’s Boy Scout Troop, the volunteers were busy the entire day showing children and their parents a variety of fish, snakes, salamanders, frogs and toads. Some children came back again and again during the day to look at the animals, dragging friends with them.

“I’ve been using the creek to teach my own children about biology and the environment for almost twenty years,” says Laura McKenzie, head of the education committee for Friends of Big Canoe Creek. “The creek provides a multitude of hands-on science activities that motivate kids to learn more on their own — and they have a lot of just plain fun at the same time.”

Another highlight of the past year was an event held at Springville’s Methodist Church in February, featuring acclaimed Alabama conservation photographer Beth Maynard Young. Around 70 people came to hear Young talk about her many years of experience photographing Alabama’s wild places and see many of her favorite images. “We had five or six people join the Friends of  Big Canoe Creek on that one night,” Morrison said.

 In addition to its monthly meetings, which frequently include public speakers such as Young, the Friends of  Big Canoe Creek sponsors periodic educational, recreational and community-service activities such as rain barrel workshops, float trips and creek clean-ups.

To learn more about the group or to join, check out their website at www.bigcanoecreek.org or call President Doug Morrison at 205-467-7620.