Intermittent showers and gray skies didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for helping clean up around Village Creek in the Ensley community of Birmingham Sept. 17 during the 11^th annual Village Creek Cleanup.

Dozens of volunteers from across the Birmingham area, as well as from Miles College, Lawson State Community College, and Birmingham’s George W. Carver and Jackson-Olin high schools, gathered Saturday morning for the final day of the three-day cleanup. The event is affiliated with the Renew Our Rivers campaign and is supported by Alabama Power.

On Thursday and Friday, workers focused on removing trash and debris from the creek itself; on Saturday, community volunteers fanned out along the streets and homes near Moro Park to pick up trash that might otherwise wash into the creek.

A volunteer in the 11th Annual Village Creek cleanup, along with a reminder of why the work matters. (Alabama NewsCenter)

A truck picks up trash collected during this year’s Village Creek cleanup. (Alabama NewsCenter)

Trash collected during this year’s Village Creek cleanup. (Alabama NewsCenter)

Volunteers spent three days last week cleaning up Village Creek and surrounding areas. (Alabama NewsCenter)

The ongoing development of the Village Creek trail is part of the transformation of the area along the creek. (Alabama NewsCenter)

Years ago, federal emergency officials moved people from dozens of homes in the area and cleared the site along the creek because of chronic flooding. For a time, the area became a favorite spot for illegal dumping. But now, the area is being transformed into a community park, with walking trails under construction.

“Thank you all for what you do,” Mable Anderson told volunteers at the end of Saturday’s cleanup. Anderson is founder of the Village Creek Human & Environmental Justice Society, which leads the cleanup. Anderson recently celebrated her 86^th birthday, and volunteers joined together to sing “Happy Birthday” before her remarks.

An early water source for Birmingham, Village Creek flows 44 miles through urban and rural Jefferson County, from east Birmingham to the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River. In the 1820s, pioneers stripped coal from the banks of the creek, making it one of the original sites of Alabama’s coal industry.

The Magic City’s rapid growth and industrialization in the late 19^th century and early-t- mid 20^th century took its toll on the creek, affecting water quality. But in recent years, efforts to control pollution and reduce trash have helped put the creek on a path toward restoration and revitalization.

Many organizations, agencies and companies supported this year’s cleanup, including the city of Birmingham, Birmingham Fire and Rescue Services, Birmingham Water Works, the Jefferson County Commission, Stormwater Management of Birmingham, The Nature Conservancy, Special Occasions and Vulcan Materials.

“We’re not going down; we’re going on,” Anderson told the volunteers. “We’re heading in the right direction.”