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"OUr Earth to march for parks next week"

The walk is part of Earth Week, which starts Sunday.

By Claudia King
Oklahoma Daily Reporter

Students will march for parks April 20 to raise awareness about Brookhaven Creek in Norman.

The march will begin at Andrews Park and end at Morgan Park, near the creek. The distance is about three miles, said OUr Earth member Devin Dennie, who is helping to organize the march.

Brookhaven Creek, near the intersection of 36th Avenue and Robinson Street, is prone to flooding and was in danger of being turned into a concrete drainage ditch.

The March for Parks is part of Earth Week, which starts at 1 p.m. Sunday. Other activities include an information fair and displays on environmental issues, like confined animal feeding operations.

OUr Earth will also have cellular phones at the activities so that students can call their representatives and urge them to approve environmental issues, said OUr Earth member Emily McCauley.

Dennie said the group is raising public awareness of the need to clean up Brookhaven Creek. He said OUr Earth hopes to make a point to the city.

"We just want people to know what's going on," he said. "We want to show the city that the residents (in that area) want more out of it than just a ditch."

Jimmy Berry, director of the Norman Department of Public Works, said the city hopes to work out an agreement with the Sierra Club, an environmental group that works closely with OUr Earth, to reduce flooding and increase maintenance at the creek.

Berry said the city plans to clear a path through trees in the area so flood water can get through. Then, members of the Sierra Club will be asked to organize volunteers to keep the area clean, he said.

"We want to maximize the amount of habitation, and minimize the amount of damage in that area," he said.