How You Can Help

Volunteers

Volunteers have been extremely important in the City's efforts to restore Beaver brook. Among the things that volunteers have contributed to thus far:

Japanese knotweed cutting and removal, re-vegetation planting projects, brook habitat assessment, stormwater pollution risk assessment, water quality monitoring, brook trash clean-up, Atlantic salmon-in-the-classroom, rain garden site evaluation and installation.

There will also be many other opportunities for volunteers to pitch in alongside friends and neighbors to help cut with Beaver Brook restoration efforts. Green Up Keene Day each April, and Source-to-Sea River and Brook Clean-Up Day each September or October are two opportunities to help. If you would like to be on a list to volunteer for other activities as they arise, email Eric Swope

Other things you can do

There are plenty of things you can do to help the quality of Beaver Brook from your own home.

• Don't put anything other than stormwater into the storm drains. Storm drains in Keene discharge into Beaver Brook and other surface waters. The yellow fish that you see stenciled beside the drain is a reminder that it leads to where fish live.
• Keep soapy wastewater, fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals away from storm drains.
• Low impact development
• Encourage Infiltration of Rainwater and Reduce Runoff 
• Native Plant Gardening in exposed areas.
• Remove Invasive Species
• If you notice pollutants in a stream or storm drain, contact the Department of Public Works at 352-6550 to report the problem.
• Don't put pet wastes into a storm drain or into the brook.

Low impact development is used in urban and landscape planning to manage stormwater. This includes reducing runoff from impermeable surfaces and encouraging rainwater infiltration to filter out sediments and pollutants. Methods include:   

• Using rain barrels under downspouts
• Planting a rain garden
• Using permeable paving surfaces
• Creating green roof space