Fourche Creek Cleanup, Little Rock 9/27/2014 (Report added)

[Cowper]

I don't have any official "flyers" yet, but I got this:

I just wanted to give you a heads-up that our Friends of Fourche Creek group is looking at going back to Fourche on Sep 27 to clean Trash Site #2 and also to send a smaller group to collect the "new stuff" at the site we all worked on last April. I believe this date that was suggested by Audubon late this afternoon, is going to work for a good number of people. There is a group from UALR that wants to come out with us. Please share with your friends to "save the date." I expect that there will be a flyer made and posted real soon, to let everyone know the official date.

Based on their past event, core times are likely to be in the 9PM to noon range. Also, boats were useful but the majority of work was done by "walk in" volunteers, so boats are certainly not "required". Still, as a scheduled event, posting on the "Trips" forum seemed the most appropriate place to put it.

I"m still undecided whether I will join the main sites mentioned above, or take the opportunity to go after the 14+ large tarps that are wrapped around trees between Hindman Park and University Ave which is a couple of miles upstream of the trash sites FOF plans to hit. Getting these tarps out on a day when others already have arranged for item pick-up makes a certain amount of sense.

Either way, I'll update this thread when I know more or have a flyer to "link", and hope I'll see a few of you there.

[ween]

I'll be there with a canoe and anybody I can drag along.

[Cowper]

OK, here is the update:

Date: Sept 27, 2014
Time: 8:30 AM to 12 noon
Closest address to site: 5207 Scott Hamilton Drive, Little Rock
GPS coordinates:
N34.70095 W92.31782 for those very precise types
N34.701 W92.318 for those who frequently say "close enough!"

Contact for more info:
Jonathan Young
501-244-2229
jyoung@audubon.org

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1487720388148444/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Paddlegal]

Sign me up! No boat, I'll pick up trash.

[Cowper]

A sub-group of us is going after a couple of tires in Hindman Park, so we'll be joining the main effort about 90 minutes late, estimated. If you arrive at the main site, and do not see us, don't worry, we will be joining you and the main group shortly!

The creek is VERY low, boats are not expected to be needed, but that does make it easier to access a lot of the trash. Muck boots or light weight waders would probably be useful, although not required.

See you tomorrow!

[Cowper]

Trip Report:

While the main group of about 24 volunteers from other organizations hit two areas near Scott Hamilton, 6 of us ACC types began the day where Fourche Creek runs through Hindman Park before moving down to that area. I asked the group to join me there because I wanted us to get this big tire out of Fourche creek before we joined the main crew further downstream. The five smaller tires, various balls and bags of trash just sort of happened. Good friends, and got to use the grappling hook AND a 4 to 1 pulley system, what else could we ask for?

For the crew working the lower section, the highlight was probably finally getting the ski boat recovered several months ago loaded into a dumpster for the final trip to the landfill. It was far too heavy to lift, but Jonathan from Audubon Arkansas was able to drag it around and up into the dumpster with a mule-type vehicle. They also collected a an estimated 140 bags of trash. Those with Facebook access can find photos for that on the Audubon Arkansas page.

Remember - whether you attend these "formal" clean ups or not, always grab a couple of pieces of litter every time you go to the river. I'm already amazed at the visible differences I can see on rivers where we have put this into practice! You can always find SOMETHING, even on relatively clean rivers running through wilderness areas.

My thanks to Bryan, Aly, Mitch, Elene and Tom!

[Tim Eubanks]

Well done! Thanks for representing, hard work, and getting dirty.

[sig]

Litter Warriors!

[Cowper]

Received this today via e-mail, and was asked to pass it to the others in our group who participated:

Friends of Fourche Creek wish to thank all who participated in the cleanup on September 27. Through the combined effort of 27 volunteers putting in a collective 120 hours, another 152 bags of trash were pulled from two sections of Fourche Creek and separated into recyclable and non-recyclable materials. Also hoisted out were a tractor tire, a scooter, and a 17-foot ski boat! As we continue to remove the worst trash accumulations in Fourche Bottoms, and work towards our vision of a Fourche Creek Park and Water Trail, we also seek innovative ways to keep trash from getting into our waterways in the first place.

Thanks to Waste Management for supplying the rolloffs, Starbucks for the coffee, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission’s Stream Team for the mesh bags, Keep Little Rock Beautiful for the gloves and shirts, and the Meadowcliff/Brookwood Neighborhood Association for the water. More photos and other information about Fourche Creek and Fourche Bottoms can be found on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/fourchecreek" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Thanks again!

Sincerely,

Dan

Dan Scheiman, Ph.D.
Bird Conservation Director
Audubon Arkansas