Perseverance’s payoff: Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve ready for visitors

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Mackenzie Free

It was a word repeated early and often in what would become a decade-long journey to Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve – “perseverance.”

But on a clear, Spring-like day in February, close to 400 people witnessed just how perseverance paid off.

It was billed as a ribbon cutting. What it became was testament to what can happen when visionaries don’t give up.

The much anticipated, much heralded Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve officially opened, marking the end of one journey and the beginning of many more. This 422-acre slice of Alabama nature tucked away alongside a pristine creek in Springville blends miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, birding and just plain enjoying nature.

Plants, flowers, trees of all descriptions dot the landscape. A crystal-clear creek meanders through the heart of it. Below its surface, rare aquatic species have found a home. Towering trees form the ideal canopy for the trails below.

It’s a scene no doubt played and replayed in the vision of people like Doug Morrison, whose passion to preserve, protect and share nature’s gem never ceased. Perseverance.

For full story, check it out at Discover The Essence of St. Clair Magazine online here.