(1986-2025)
Honoring a Bridge-Builder for Science, Streams, and Community
The Downtown Greenway community joins many across Greensboro in mourning the loss (August 11, 2025) of Dr. Sarah Praskievicz – a scientist, educator, and collaborator who inspired countless people to better understand and care for the natural world around us.
As a faculty member at UNC Greensboro, Sarah devoted her career to studying rivers, streams, and water systems. Her love of learning was matched by her gift for sharing that knowledge with others – whether in the classroom, through community programs, or standing knee-deep in a local creek explaining how water connects us all.
Sarah became a close partner with the Downtown Greenway, bringing her expertise and energy to environmental education workshops and stream programming that engaged residents of all ages. She worked side-by-side with staff, students, and volunteers to study and protect the College Branch stream, the small but vital waterway that runs through the future Western Branch section of the Downtown Greenway.
As Dabney Sanders, Downtown Greenway Project Manager, shared:
“Sarah was an invaluable resource and volunteer for the Downtown Greenway especially with our work on the College Branch stream along the Western Branch. She was a part of the team that secured the grant from the NC Land and Water Fund for restoration efforts of that stream, ensuring its health for generations to come. In addition, her work with her UNCG students on the testing of the stream informed part of artist Thomas Sayre’s piece, Cairn’s Course. She identified and catalogued all of the living things in the stream and Sayre created 18 of those in stainless steel, and embedded them in terrazzo stones placed in the circular walkway connecting his monumental earthcast structures.”
Sarah’s work showed us that science and community go hand in hand, teaching us not just about water systems but also about stewardship, curiosity, and the importance of connecting people to the places they live. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and her approach made everyone feel like they had a part to play in protecting our local environment.
We will remember Sarah for her curiosity, her kindness, and her ability to bring people together through discovery. Her influence will continue to flow through the Downtown Greenway – in the clear waters of College Branch and in the countless students and community members she inspired to care for our world a little more deeply.
