The Black River Action Team began in 2000 as an idea turned reality.  The concept that “someone ought to do something” became energized into action by the realization that everyone is a “someone.”  Since that first cleanup of the Black River’s banks and bed by three volunteers, the BRAT has grown to include more than seventy-five “someones” of all ages, working around the watershed.  With the support of the CT River Watershed Council as its umbrella organization, the BRAT continues this annual tradition of rolling up sleeves to get down & dirty in order to clean up the Black River and its tributaries.

The BRAT’s foundation has always been one of active, creative partnerships and common-sense stewardship ~ working together to achieve and maintain a thriving river ecosystem is a win-win situation.  Where others see “problems” the BRAT sees opportunity: an opportunity to learn more about how a river system works, to network with other organizations working on similar scenarios, to partner with communities and landowners on finding a practical solution and consensus ~ an opportunity to get the job done.

Over the years, the BRAT has built partnerships with various organizations to accomplish terrific things:

~ collaborating with the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission on a brochure about the watershed, and participating in a Stream Geomorphic Assessment during 2006/2007;

~ hauling trash out of the river and its tributaries during an annual event called RiverSweep;

~ coordinating with the CT River Joint Commissions on the First Annual VT Clean Water Day Paddle event, hopefully the first of many recreational adventures to come;

~ and obtaining a Partnership Program grant from the CT River Joint Commissions to conduct the first-ever Visual Assessment of the river in 2005.