Join your neighbors and friends (and make new friends) as we clean up litter and trash in Klutho Park & Hogans Creek this Saturday, 2/11 @10am, in prepartion for the official Grand Opening of the Springfield Disc Golf course, later in the month.
Trash bags and water provided, but please bring gloves and anything you can use to fish trash out of Hogans Creek.
Meet in Klutho Park's parking lot at Boulevard & W. 2nd Street, next to Karpeles Museum, 10am:
http://www.myspringfield.org/event/ZTRnZXFxZXEwMGhmdjlib2dmZGNrODNoc2cgYmxvY2tjYXB0YWluc0BteXNwcmluZ2ZpZWxkLm9yZw/12.html?end=1328979600&start=1328972400
Afterwards, Wafaa & Mikes Cafe http://www.wafaamikescafe.com/ is offering a 30% discount for anyone who participated in the clean up, and don't forget about Tres Leches Desserts 1 year anniversary party that day too. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tres-Leches-Desserts/183382145034524
Thanks!
Don't forget about the Klutho Park & Hogans Creek Clean Up this Saturday! We should have a big crowd.
Trash bags and water provided, but please bring gloves and anything you can use to fish trash out of Hogans Creek.
how deep is the creek?
depends on the tides and location, but usually no more than 4-5 feet
Most of the creek running through Klutho Park is less than 3 feet deep. The best way to clean it up is in waders.
What are the trash sources?
Certainly some is discarded individually,intentionally.
Some is washed in,"non point " sources so to speak,roadway swales etc.
The endless trash tidal wave defies spot cleanup efforts and will require comprehensive creek system trash
Just downstream from Duval street,behind the Historical Society building,east side of the creek there is a cove that captures a stunning array of float trash that escapes Cleanup attention,although we have picked at it......and even a concentrated effort would prove futile even in the short time frame.
An acknowledged sense of futility would not be negative.......futile......but rather a healthy progressive step in highlighting the need to elevate the small creeks as the relative face of needed River Advocacy that they are.
Has anyone tried a sein net yet?
I'll be there. In 3 1/2 hours to see old friends and meet new friends. I'll bring a wheelbarrow, rakes, shovel. A gathering of purpose.
We Khan Make It Happen.
I'm drinking my morning coffee now, I will see you all there...I don't think I have any gloves though. Hopefully one of you will have something. If not, oh well. A little dirt won't hurt me.
I might have an extra pair of gloves. Not sure. I'll check.
Not sure if I met any of you this morning...if I did, it was nice meeting you. That was fun! I cannot believe how much trash was collected.
See (as but one example) Florida DEP Lower basin Tributaries Basin Management Action Plan ('BMAP')
Dec 2009 Hogans creek incl., 2010 Progress report
Progress in water quality improvements- light on trash management.
Fishweir Creek Comprehensive Restoration Proposal,COE Draft DPR also notes trash impacts,management need however trash management elements not a part of project scope.
So be aware you are pioneering Trash aspect.
We had a great turn out and did one hell of a job...the park and creek look great! I appreciate everyone that came out to help. Saw some new faces, thanks for coming to pitch in.
What a fantastic cleanup effort in a two hour period. I hope someone posts some pics. Because it was impressive. When I arrived the parking lot was full. Took it across the creek and there was a guy in a kayak just kicking butt. There were two of us on that side Carla and Greg. Just met both.
Greg and I were using the wheel barrow and it came in handy given the vast area of cleanup involved. It was a pleasure working with Greg. He was there not only to help with the cleanup but also had helped with the Frisbee golf coarse. I've never played disc golf. He was telling me all about it.
We took the wheel barrow and followed the creek all the way up. Saw some familiar faces. Bridges, Abel H. Bill, I think I saw City Life. But what was so exciting for me was learning all about Frisbee golf from Greg. At one point there are people arriving and playing the coarse. These guys had a dozen of Frisbees in an over shoulder disc bag. Greg and I are standing there just watching them tee off. Springfield you have to be so proud of what you have created not only with this but the ballfield to.
There were shopping carts pulled out, tires, signs and just dozens of bags of garbage. Greg and I had that wheelbarrow loaded up a number of times to take to the ever growing pile. The thrill of this entire cleanup was not only participating and joining everyone in making the neighborhood cleaner but when Greg asked me if I would like to try and play a hole. I said "YES." He went to his truck and got his bag of Frisbees. In the back of my mind this would be like Jack Nicklaus asking me if I'd like to play a hole or two. The hole was a par 3. He was showing and explaining the different discs. My first throw wasn't even close. Neither was my second or third or fourth after going through his entire bag I just played my furthest one. His one toss landed 3' from the hole. How much fun!
I wanted to share this story with everyone because that is how special yesterday was for me. A gathering of purpose and we did kick butt cleaning up. But to meet someone else and for him to share his passion and sport with me added to that sense of community.
Special thanks to Joan and Kim and everyone who organized this event. Sorry I couldn't stay for the food I'm sure it was good.
Here's a few photos with more at the link! http://www.myspringfield.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14301#p14301
(http://gallery.myspringfield.org/Groups/SPAR-Block-Captains/i-bw4F95x/0/M/Park-1-M.jpg)
(http://gallery.myspringfield.org/Groups/SPAR-Block-Captains/i-zSMwZGM/0/M/Park-6-M.jpg)
(http://gallery.myspringfield.org/Groups/SPAR-Block-Captains/i-H3GDQX9/0/M/Park-9-M.jpg)
It was a great morning!
Cool pictures!
No surprise, what an absolutely incredible (and disgustingly dirty) job by Springfield residents and friends. Springfield is a great place. Kudos to the organizers and Block Captains for consistently facilitating neighborhoood clean-ups. I love Springfield, but not so much Jacksonville.
I am baffled that the city does not facilitate common areas clean-ups in spaces like Klutho Park. I can not think of one area in Los Angeles county where the residents and friends of the community have to band together to do public works jobs, even in areas of East LA and Compton where one might stereo type it would need to be done. I am not downing community clean-ups. Rather criticizing Jacksonville at ignoring the very basic of needs in any community: cleanliness of public spaces.
Does some part of our property taxes pay for this? Tell me what those hefty ad-valoreum taxes are for? Where do they go?
Again, absolute kudos for Block Captain clean-ups. And more kudos for the individuals who walk and pick-up trash on their own. I see it ALL the time. It is indeed the right thing to do, but am I missing somewhere city support in the form of labor?
Jacksonville prides itself of low taxes, not great services.
But it is always amazing to see how Springfield can tackle problems like this. 2 hrs is not a lot of time, but by the time I left (just before noon), we kind of ran out of trash to pick up. Just amazing how this group of neighbors can't be stopped.
Couldn't stay for the picture afterwards, but it was a good time. Sad part was we cleaned the whole thing...and then the tide changed and it brought back a whole bunch of trash.
Also found out that the city is still sitting on about $1 mil in federal funding that can only be used on Hogan's Creek. Depressing to know that that money is there, and yet the city might just waste it.
It was nasty work but somehow doing it with neighbors make it less so. Except for the slip that put me in the creek up past my boot. If I come down with some horrible disease it was still worth it! ;D
I was asked to help, so I created an event on facebook, asking friends to come join me at the park to clean up for the up coming grand opening of the disc golf course. I asked Bill, who oversees the block captains, if he'd arrange for the monthly clean up to be held at the Klutho/Hogans creek...he agreed and together we spread the word, asking for help and friends, neighbors and other kind folks stepped up to the plate. We had a great turn out, and within a couple of hours, we had a huge mound of trash, and several large piles of branches that were pruned. Resulting in a clean park, a better looking creek and a group of hungry folks that met for lunch at Wafaas afterwards. Who, opened up just for us. So all in all, we worked hard and we had fun doing it. I appreciate everyone who came out to help, and to those who couldn't be there, but donated materials and water. Springfield rocks!
Quote from: Bridges on February 13, 2012, 01:45:33 PM
Couldn't stay for the picture afterwards, but it was a good time. Sad part was we cleaned the whole thing...and then the tide changed and it brought back a whole bunch of trash.
Also found out that the city is still sitting on about $1 mil in federal funding that can only be used on Hogan's Creek. Depressing to know that that money is there, and yet the city might just waste it.
To Push ,any time you all would like to get some traction just arrange for a big cleanup ( maybe Florida Inland Navigation District support- to the tune of last year's $5,000......... and the T shirts......don't forget....and this event could be historical!..)and show up, and in Knowing protest,don't pick up one bit of trash- display your empty bags proudly.