Dive-bombing owl inspires new wildlife signage along Shades Creek Greenway

If you frequent the Shades Creek Greenway in Homewood, you might notice some fresh additions during your next walk or run.

Freshwater Land Trust (FLT) recently unveiled new signage along the popular 3.9-mile trail spotlighting the diverse native wildlife that shares the corridor with local residents. The new signage is the result of a collaborative educational project between several local organizations and partners.

Keeping both runners + owls safe along Shades Creek Greenway

The inspiration for the new displays stems from a series of viral moments on the trail.

During nesting season, local early-morning joggers reported several close encounters with a territorial barred owl that began dive-bombing passersby to protect its territory.

To resolve the immediate safety concern, the Alabama Wildlife Center teamed up with the City of Homewood to install nesting boxes further off the trail, successfully encouraging the owls to raise their young away from the pedestrian path.

Fostering community education + wildlife coexistence in Homewood

Rather than simply moving past the incidents, the partner organizations viewed the encounters as an opening for local environmental education.

FLT joined forces with Samford University, the City of Homewood and the Alabama Wildlife Center to create permanent signage dedicated to three key native species:

• Barred owls
• Great Blue Herons
• Spotted salamanders

“Our hope is that users of the Shades Creek Greenway learn about some of the trail’s other inhabitants as they are out enjoying nature. Alabama is one the of the most biodiverse states in the nation, and the Shades Creek watershed is certainly reflective of that fact.”

Homewood Mayor Jennifer Andress

The project aims to build an appreciative understanding of the creek’s ecosystem while promoting a respectful, safe coexistence between trail users and local wildlife.

Samford University + community partners bring new trail signs to life

While FLT handled the design and formatting — matching the layout to existing Red Rock Trail System signs found at Grants Mill and Moon River — the project relied on several community partners to cross the finish line:

• Funding was provided entirely by Samford University.
• Dr. Kristin Bakkegard of Samford’s Biological and Environmental Sciences Department supplied the species-specific information used to draft the text.
• Featured photos of the avian species were captured by local Birmingham wildlife photographer Damion Bankhead.

The new signs are officially live and visible to the public along the greenway.

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