After years of planning and fundraising, construction for the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve classroom pavilion is well underway with support from Birmingham-Southern College and other community partners.

Southern Environmental Center Director Roald Hazelhoff, Turkey Creek Manager Charles Yeager ’10, and Pinson Mayor Hoyt Sanders invited the Jefferson County Mayor’s Association for a preview of the project on Friday, Sept. 25. The pavilion will serve as an outdoor educational facility as well as a general gathering space for visitors to the preserve.

“We have been working with Birmingham-Southern, the Freshwater Land Trust, and new partners at the preserve to swap 30 acres of flood plain on Sweeney Hollow with 30 acres of land that was part of the original Turkey Creek project, on which is going a pavilion,” Sanders says.

Made up of 466 acres, Turkey Creek Nature Preserve is a critical habitat for biodiversity as the home to seven protected and endangered species, including the Vermilion Darter, which lives only in Turkey Creek and nowhere else in the world. The Southern Environmental Center has co-managed the preserve for a number of years and stays involved in their events and projects, like the pavilion.

Lora Dunn and Emily Wise worked on multiple different projects during their summer internships at Turkey Creek.

Hazelhoff is looking forward to the many uses of the new facility, especially for field trips focused on Alabama’s biodiversity. As director of the Southern Environmental Center, housed on BSC’s campus, he leads many educational trips at the College and at the preserve that will make use of the new space.

Other faculty, staff, and students are also active with Turkey Creek. Professor of Biology Dr. Andy Gannon will take his invertebrate zoology class to the preserve to “look for critters” on Oct. 5, and many BSC students have the opportunity to work at Turkey Creek throughout the summer.

This summer, sophomore Lora Dunn and senior Emily Wise interned at Turkey Creek, where they worked in the greenhouse, built a shaded structure, replaced invasive species with native plants, and created social media content. Both Dunn and Wise were happy to get out of the house, continue their internships during the pandemic, and participate in various Turkey Creek restoration projects.

“I’m really glad to see Turkey Creek doing their part by remaining available for people to get outside during the pandemic but also remain as safe as possible,” Wise says.

Once the pavilion project is complete, Hazelhoff also hopes to see more events held at Turkey Creek, a hidden gem of biodiversity and beautiful trails, water, and scenery.

Learn more about Turkey Creek here.