Through the explorations of Englesby Brook, graduate students were able to envision a very different brook from the one seen today. This vision includes children playing in the brook both East and West of Shelburne Road, the use riparian land being shared by humans and a diversity of wildlife, and the continuous enjoyment of the beautiful Blanchard Beach, even following storm events. Englesby Brook is a special place. It is the backyard and home of many, both two and four legged. But it is also an impaired watershed, meaning that it does not meet Clean Water Act standards (see the Chittenden County Stream Team website for more information on impaired watersheds in Burlington). It will take the entire community to restore the brook: to properly dispose of lawn waste and dog feces so they don't contaminate the water, to encourage creative stormwater mitigation practices (like rainwater gardens), to clean up the current buildup of waste, and to allow the next generation the opportunity to connect to and care for the watershed.
UVM graduate students who studied Englesby brook recorded a variety of people talking about the role that brooks and streams played their childhoods and beyond: