The EE Sampler - Jefferson County Public Schools

A Beargrass Creek Experience
By: Dustin Kostalek
Being a native of Western Kentucky and not too familiar with all the sites and attractions
surrounding the Louisville area, I was excited to have the opportunity to paddle on Beargrass
Creek. My Urban Water class had volunteered to participate in a cleanup held at Beargrass
Creek and then we were going to paddle for the rest of the afternoon. Prior to arriving at the
creek, I had expected there to be some trash scattered along the banks, but what I saw was
unbelievable. The amount of trash in the creek and all along the banks was disheartening. After
seeing the unexplainable items that had been tossed into the river, I could understand why the
creek was no longer safe for fishing or swimming. When items such as: shopping carts, car
batteries, glass plates, old recreation equipment, metal items, and even an old Volkswagen Beetle
are present in or along the creek, you know there is a problem.
My class, which was made up of fifteen students and two instructors, gathered several
bags of garbage during the cleanup. However, when we were finished collecting garbage, it
seemed like we did not make that much of a difference. The amount of waste and filth in
Beargrass Creek is so great that it is going to take a collective effort from the community over
the next several years to return the creek to the state that it should be. Our class participated in a
well organized cleanup attempt; however, the amount of volunteers that were present that
Saturday morning was a little discouraging. Besides our class, there were maybe ten to twelve
volunteers helping out in the effort. For Beargrass Creek to become safe for recreation again, it
is going to take a greater commitment from the local community in the cleanup effort.
Our class has also had the opportunity to paddle other local bodies of water such as:
Harrods Creek and Floyds Fork, each of which was much more enjoyable than our time spent at
Beargrass Creek. There is no reason why a day spent on Beargrass Creek can not be as
enjoyable as spending a day on any other local body of water. That Saturday spent on Beargrass
Creek made me realize that we, as a society, need to start taking better care of our natural
resources quickly before it becomes too late. I think people of all ages deserve a chance to
experience and enjoy the many pleasures of a day spent at the creek. In a society, where we are
always telling people to get out and enjoy nature and the world, it is hard to tell someone to
enjoy a creek where there are old car batteries in the water and rusty shopping carts along the
bank.
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