Branford River Project
The first group to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Branford River Project (BRP) pursues two complementary goals: to protect and appreciate the Branford River and to educate residents on how to care for it. And, while all members of the project share in this award; special recognition goes to Maria Storm, founder and president of the Branford River Project.
In 1994, Land Trust president Peter Borgemeister asked then-vice president Maria Storm to report on the condition of Long Island Sound to the Rotary Club and "do something." "I think he expected us to have a couple of meetings and let it go," Maria remembers.
Initially, Project members were faced with "What river?" "Does Branford have a river?" Their brochure, "Branford River Project, Protecting Branford's Finest Natural Resource," provides a map of the River and answers many questions. In addition to producing several other brochures, the River Project educates boat owners to care for and use the River wisely so as to have the least possible adverse impact on its quality.
The BRP has focused on fighting "non-point source pollution" where much of it begins-in our own gardens and homes. Toward this end, the River Project and the UConn Cooperative Extension System of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources have formed a partnership: the Branford River Stewardship Project. Twenty-six Branford residents have been trained to teach individual homeowners best management practices for their homes, lawns, and gardens. BRP's most recent publication, "A Guide to Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care," is now available to residents as a result of this partnership.
A BRP subcommittee provided hands-on learning resources and library materials for Branford schools. River Project members visited classrooms to share the story of the River and our responsibility to care for it and Long Island Sound. Under Maria's direction, sixth graders created coloring books that illustrate River wildlife and ways to care for the River and Sound.
For fourth graders, BRP speakers use a hands-on model of a watershed system to illustrate how pollution reaches the River and Sound. The kids are given an opportunity (in Maria's words) "to be dirty, stinkin' rotten polluters for one last time."
The BRP spearheaded a program in which students adopt a storm drain close to their homes and monitor it, keeping it clean and running freely. Students, family, and neighbors learn that anything that goes down the drain will end up in the River or Sound.
The BRP was instrumental in Branford's selection as the first New England site to have a Rain Garden (located behind the police station). Parking lot runoff is fed into a garden filled with especially tolerant plants, preventing pollutants from reaching the storm drain, River, and Sound. This is an education project for town planners, zoning officials, city and town governments, developers, and contractors from all over the Northeast.
While not a trained environmentalist, Maria brings a multitude of skills to the Branford River Project. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at Wellesley College and her master's degree at the Harvard University School of Education. She and her husband Bruce moved to Branford from Arlington, Massachusetts, when he was named Superintendent of Schools in 1991. Their son Christian is an eighth grader at Walsh Intermediate School. Maria's professional background is in marketing communications. She currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Branford Counseling Center. She has volunteered for the Branford Festival, and she authored and produced two editions of the Branford Guide to Social Services. She now works at the Yale University School of Music.
Led by Maria, the Branford River Project reminds us that the future of our communities depends on all of us learning how to live in greater harmony with our environment. In our schools, community, and region, the Branford River Project is a model and a leader in education.
In 1994, Land Trust president Peter Borgemeister asked then-vice president Maria Storm to report on the condition of Long Island Sound to the Rotary Club and "do something." "I think he expected us to have a couple of meetings and let it go," Maria remembers.
Initially, Project members were faced with "What river?" "Does Branford have a river?" Their brochure, "Branford River Project, Protecting Branford's Finest Natural Resource," provides a map of the River and answers many questions. In addition to producing several other brochures, the River Project educates boat owners to care for and use the River wisely so as to have the least possible adverse impact on its quality.
The BRP has focused on fighting "non-point source pollution" where much of it begins-in our own gardens and homes. Toward this end, the River Project and the UConn Cooperative Extension System of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources have formed a partnership: the Branford River Stewardship Project. Twenty-six Branford residents have been trained to teach individual homeowners best management practices for their homes, lawns, and gardens. BRP's most recent publication, "A Guide to Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care," is now available to residents as a result of this partnership.
A BRP subcommittee provided hands-on learning resources and library materials for Branford schools. River Project members visited classrooms to share the story of the River and our responsibility to care for it and Long Island Sound. Under Maria's direction, sixth graders created coloring books that illustrate River wildlife and ways to care for the River and Sound.
For fourth graders, BRP speakers use a hands-on model of a watershed system to illustrate how pollution reaches the River and Sound. The kids are given an opportunity (in Maria's words) "to be dirty, stinkin' rotten polluters for one last time."
The BRP spearheaded a program in which students adopt a storm drain close to their homes and monitor it, keeping it clean and running freely. Students, family, and neighbors learn that anything that goes down the drain will end up in the River or Sound.
The BRP was instrumental in Branford's selection as the first New England site to have a Rain Garden (located behind the police station). Parking lot runoff is fed into a garden filled with especially tolerant plants, preventing pollutants from reaching the storm drain, River, and Sound. This is an education project for town planners, zoning officials, city and town governments, developers, and contractors from all over the Northeast.
While not a trained environmentalist, Maria brings a multitude of skills to the Branford River Project. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at Wellesley College and her master's degree at the Harvard University School of Education. She and her husband Bruce moved to Branford from Arlington, Massachusetts, when he was named Superintendent of Schools in 1991. Their son Christian is an eighth grader at Walsh Intermediate School. Maria's professional background is in marketing communications. She currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Branford Counseling Center. She has volunteered for the Branford Festival, and she authored and produced two editions of the Branford Guide to Social Services. She now works at the Yale University School of Music.
Led by Maria, the Branford River Project reminds us that the future of our communities depends on all of us learning how to live in greater harmony with our environment. In our schools, community, and region, the Branford River Project is a model and a leader in education.