Seasonal Encampments

In the warmer months, the Urban Reserve becomes home to many seasonal encampments. The forested areas behind the dog park and behind the wetland attract a lot of human activity that has been pushed out of other parts of the city. Camps contain tents, sleeping bags, bikes, and clothes.

The camps may pose a safety risk to the public, and certainly there are concerns about human waste being so near the lake, but on the other hand the Urban Reserve is one of a few places in the city where homeless can live. There is a tension between wanting to "clean up" the Urban Reserve and holding compassion for the city's homeless population.

Whatever the citizens of Burlington decide to do with the Urban Reserve, they should think carefully about how the homeless residents of the Reserve will be impacted.  

This tent is one example of the many encampments throughout the Reserve. Photo credit: Joanne Garton