When spring dawns at UALR, trees bud and flowers bloom. But when trash litters local streams and trails, the University District’s natural beauty disappears.

A group of UALR students, faculty, and staff gathered April 4 for the second annual Coleman Creek Clean-up Day. Volunteers picked up the trash that had accumulated in and along Coleman Creek. In a little over four hours, they collected more than 20 bags of trash. Items pulled from the creek and its banks included a computer monitor, a mop, a folding chair, a car headlight, and lots of plastic bags.

The event was co-chaired by Bill Saunders of the Coleman Creek Greenway Committee and Dave Millay, UALR Physical Plant director. Tom Wirries and Sodexo provided the clean-up team with lunch.

Coleman Creek, a natural asset for UALR, runs the entire length of its campus and is part of the regional drainage system. Members of the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations stopped for water at the creek during the forced migration known as the Trail of Tears.

With headwaters near the intersection of University Avenue and Cantrell Road, Coleman Creek eventually empties into the Fourche Creek wetlands immediately south of the campus. The creek is part of what has been described as “the largest de-urbanization project” in Arkansas. Coleman Creek is being returned to its natural state with native trees, rocks, and grasses.