Retiring Housatonic River Walk Founder Talks Memories, Dreams

In 1988, Rachel Fletcher organized a group of volunteers to help remove charred debris from the banks of the Housatonic River. It was the remnants of a Great Barrington, Massachusetts drug store, gutted by a fire a decade earlier. For Fletcher, what began as a single mission effort became a calling. Her desire to see the river flourish led her to organize the Housatonic River Walk, which has been developing and tending to the half-mile trail behind downtown Great Barrington with volunteer support for the past three decades. Fletcher is retiring next month. She tells WAMC about her favorite memories in service to the river and its community, as well as its future — namely, how to make sure the organization remains financially secure moving forward.