Watershed Restoration
Goal of Watershed Restoration
- Reducing soil erosion and sediment pollution by providing technical planning assistance, cost estimates, and volunteer crews to remove invasive plant species along the White River and tributary streams
- Restoring stream banks zones along River School routes to educate participants about the differences in active management versus passive management
- Creating agreements with landowners to ensure restored streambanks are maintained in perpetuity
Landowner Workshops
Attend a Stream Steward Workshop to learn how to become a more responsible riparian property owner! Each workshop highlights several facets of streambank management including the following topics:
- Keeping trash out of our waterways
- Identifying invasive plants and treatment options for them
- Providing sediment and erosion control strategies
- Providing native plant and live stake installation options
- Distributing new Stream Steward Guide Resource
The program is funded with the generous support of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust and its Partners. It involves more than a dozen organizations, working towards enhancement of the waterway.
RegistrationStream Stewards Manual
This Stream Steward Guide is funded by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust’s Partners for the White River initiative and was developed in partnership with Friends of the White River. The purpose of this guide is to help citizens understand how to care for our water resources, from those listening to raindrops on their roofs to landowners living on the White River. Armed with good information, we all can play a part, small or large, to improve & protect this important resource. So join us in becoming a good steward of our water resources.
Sarah Beckerman
Sarah grew up along Carmel Creek where she learned an appreciation for and responsibility to the environment. She is a plant enthusiast, avid adventurer, and experienced outdoor educator. She has guided trips all over the US in pursuit of helping others connect with nature. After volunteering for Friends’ River School, she started as Watershed Restoration Director in September of 2023.
Sarah holds degrees in biology, neuroscience, and outdoor recreation and resource management from Indiana University. While at IU, she also graduated from the Conservation Outdoor Recreation/Education and the Advanced Outdoor Leadership Training programs. She is a regular water sampler with the White River Alliance’s River Assessment Field Team and a White River Docent at Central Indiana Land Trust’s Oliver’s Woods Nature Preserve.
Sarah finds joy in the talents and creativity of Indianapolis’ music and arts scene. She likes investigating the mysteries of navigation, space, and time. You can usually find her studying plants and walking her pitbull at a local park.
Major Funding
