Request for Bid: Structural Repairs to Public Facilities— Ruffner Mountain’s Nature Center

The Jefferson County Greenways Commission, located in Jefferson County, Alabama, is seeking bid proposals from qualified, eligible vendors to perform all operations required for the construction of building improvements to building facilities at Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve.

Funding: Project funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Investment Period: June 1, 2024 - November 2024 (subject to change)
Pre-Proposal Conference: An in-person conference, Q&A, and site assessment will be held Monday, March 4th, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM CST.
Questions: Bidders will be required to submit any questions in writing prior to 2:00 PM CST on March 5th, 2024 to allow staff to prepare any response(s) required to be answered in a FAQ to be shared with bidders by email document. Questions regarding this RFB should be emailed to paul@ruffnermountain.org.
Submission Deadline: April 5, 2024

Fall Plant Sale-Every Saturday in October!

We say it every season—Fall is the best time to plant!

To usher in the Fall planting season, we are opening the Greenhouse every Saturday in October from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. for visitors to shop for native plants from Ruffner Mountain and Turkey Creek Nature Preserve. This means more opportunities to buy native plants! As an added bonus—Members will receive 10% off their purchase!

Not a member? Sign up at the link below!

Please note: Some plant species may not be available for all dates, quantities may be limited, and in-person only—no online sales this time.

The Greenhouse is located at the entrance of Ruffner Mountain's South East Lake Entrance and Nature Center; 1214 81st Street S. Birmingham, AL 35206. Parking for plant shoppers will be shared with all Ruffner visitors at this parking lot and don't worry, we will have directional signage to the greenhouse!

We also encourage visitors to bring a shopping cart if they have one!

Poster by Kyle Humphrey

Virginia Creeper

Love it or hate it? We love it! This native vine, Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), is a wildlife magnet. It is the larval host plant to two really cool sphinx moths, the Virginia creeper sphinx moth (Darapsa myron) and the Pandorus sphinx moth (Eumorpha pandorus), and the plant supports many generalist moth caterpillars as well. Virginia creeper has clusters of tiny flowers in the early summer that attract pollinators, and by the end of the season, there are lots of berries to feed small mammals and birds. Leaves, palmately compound with five leaflets, begin to turn red as berries ripen, lending fall color to the landscape. The vine is attractive growing on trees, fences and arbors and provides good cover and habitat. It can even be used as a ground cover. Yes, the vine can be a bit rambunctious, but it’s easy enough to control by simply pulling it up and cutting it back.

Register TODAY for Alabama's Radical Reptiles Program on September 9th!

Do you have an obesssssion with the scaly and slithery? Or perhaps you’re voracious for vipers and venom? If so, this is the program for you!

Join us at the Ruffner Mountain Nature Center on Saturday, September 9th where we will get up-close and personal with some of Alabama’s native reptiles.  You will have a chance to meet a turtle and several snakes and learn about their behavior, diet, habitat, and how to identify them.  

(All venomous snakes will be in glass enclosures or will be represented by lifelike models.)

Details:
This program is intended for Grades 3rd - 5th, but all ages are welcome!

  • There is a $5 parking fee (per car) for non-members. Members, please remember to bring your parking decal to ensure free entry.

  • All participants are required to sign a waiver.

  • This program will be capped at 30 attendees.

disclaimer: there will be live snakes in this program.

River Otter Sighting at the Wetlands

So, this happened! Rick Remy hiked to the Wetlands to see if he could get a glimpse of some early bird migrants, but the highlight of the morning was an only-by-chance sighting of a river otter family in the middle pond. Rick was wowed by the encounter. They were rolling around, swimming on their backs, splashing, and making little chirping sounds. So exciting! Thanks, Rick, for the great documentation!

From Ruffner Conservation Director, Jamie Nobles: “River otters prefer clean, healthy water and undisturbed habitats, which may limit them to certain rivers, creeks and streams. We should take this sighting as a compliment for the quality of habitat we are providing, even if these otters are just passing through.”

Read more about the otter sighting from Bham Now by clicking the link below!


What Happened in Montgomery: Uniting Our Greenways

Over the last three years, a common question united the leadership and staff of Turkey Creek, Red Mountain Park, and Ruffner Mountain: 

How can we better serve our community together?

This question provided a foundation of trust allowing us to collaboratively develop a solution to care for large-acre greenspaces that serve multiple municipalities, districts, and citizens. 

Last month, Governor Ivey signed HB336, a bill led by Representative Rolanda Hollis and Senator Merika Coleman, and supported by the Jefferson County Legislative Delegation, officially establishing the Jefferson County Greenways Commission.

The Jefferson County Greenways Commission will oversee the maintenance and day-to-day operations at all three sites through a centralized approach, with shared staff, equipment, knowledge, expertise, and resources.  This marks a significant shift in how Jefferson County cares for its parks.

Thank you to the additional partners who joined in this effort to make an unprecedented investment in the future of regional greenspaces: The Jefferson County Commission and Jefferson County Department of Health; along with the cities of Birmingham, Homewood, Irondale, and Pinson; the State of Alabama; the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham; the Alabama Power Foundation; and EBSCO Industries.

However, this culmination of effort, stakeholders, priorities, and resources is not our finish line. This is just the beginning of what we can accomplish when we move in the same direction together.

From all of us,

Carlee Sanford
Executive Director, Ruffner Mountain (and Turkey Creek) Nature Coalition
Interim Director, Red Mountain Park Foundation

T.C. McLemore
Public Affairs Manager, Peritus Public Relations
Former Director, Red Mountain Park Foundation

Roald Hazelhoff
Director, Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham Southern College