Environmental History of Trout Brook Leading to A Water Restoration Project Sparked by Public Participation at Trout Brook

This tour covers the environmental history of a water restoration project in which public participation acted as a catalyst at Trout Brook Nature Sanctuary. We will consider what the environmental site used to look like and why it needed restoration before diving into the long battle for change and the dedicated Tri-Block Area Neighborhood Organization, who were committed to achieving their vision of a green space through advocacy. Next, we will highlight the funding that went into the restoration project as well as the water restoration, including the process of daylighting. Then, we will consider the final touches that went into making this forgotten land site into the Trout Brook Nature Sanctuary that is open to the public today. Throughout the tour, we consider the theme of hydro citizenship, or the interconnectedness of the community and the conceptualization of water in urban spaces, and what this may mean to us now and going forward.