Turkey Creek Nature Preserve Manager Charles Yeager performs a water-quality check on the creek.

The Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, one of metro Birmingham’s most-visited attractions, was opened in 2009 with funding of about $300,000. That was intended to run the preserve for two years.

Thanks to some thrifty spending and help from local governments, the start-up funds have lasted for six years so far.

But thrifty management can only go so far, and now the preserve needs a continuing source of funds to keep the gates open, the trails clear and the creek’s famous swimming holes available for the 100,000 visitors that come each year.

Preserve Director Charles Yeager said that the original funds were set aside by the Freshwater Land Trust, which purchased the preserve property.

The city of Pinson, in whose limits the preserve lies, gives a substantial amount of support. More comes from the Friends of Turkey Creek, a non-profit group. But additional help is needed.

“What we need is the public’s buy-in,” Yeager said. “Those people that are using the preserve, we need them to give a little bit. If every person that came through that gate gave just a little bit, we’d be in great shape.”

To that end, the preserve is stepping up its fund-raising efforts, especially from businesses. Besides membership in Friends of Turkey Creek for individuals and families, which offer additional benefits, there’s also giving levels available for organizations.

The preserve’s current budget is approximately $50,000 a year, much of which goes to pay Yeager’s salary as the only employee. “We have to have on-site management — this place will not take care of itself,” Yeager said.

About $20,000 of that comes from current sources, mainly the city. That leaves $30,000 to be raised; divide that by 100,000 visitors, and it comes out to 30 cents each.

Turkey Creek can’t legally charge an admission fee because it’s classified as state lands, as opposed to a state park. They can’t even put up a donation box at the gate. Yeager has a workaround, though.

“Even though I work here seven days a week, I’m going to take some weekends this summer and talk to folks as they come in the gate about how they can help,” he said.

Currently, the preserve is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, largely due to lack of funding.

“If every person contributed 50 cents, we could maintain this place more efficiently, and offer more educational opportunities. If we had a more reasonable budget to where we could have one more person on staff, we could open those gates more often,” Yeager said.

For more information, see the preserve’s website at turkeycreeknp.wordpress.com.