Open Volunteer Event!

Register Now!

March marks the beginning of the 2024 volunteer season, and we would love to have you join us at our first open volunteer event of the year! Our open volunteer events welcome individuals and community members to spend a few hours working on projects and cleaning up the parks along the Charles River.

• Saturday, March 30, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.: We will be working in Herter Park, Boston, raking leaves and removing debris. Please email Sasha at svallieres@thecharles.org to register.

Charles River Earth Day Cleanup



Thank you to our supporters!

We are so inspired by the community’s incredible interest in supporting the parks! Our 25th annual event is full, but you can sign up for the waitlist and learn more here. Thank you to our 2024 supporters for helping to make this crucial cleanup possible!

Join our CREW!

Applications open

Join us in making a positive impact on the Charles River and its surrounding parks. The CRC Charles River Environmental Watch (CREW) program is still accepting applications for our CREW Vegetation Monitors. CREW Vegetation Monitors collect important data to inform restoration efforts in a section of the Charles River Parks called Hell’s Half Acre. As a CREW member, you can make a meaningful difference with the flexibility of volunteering on your own schedule!

Foundry Festival 2024



Street Art Workshop

Last month, we went to the Foundry Festival in Cambridge for a street art workshop. Rixy, a local street artist, taught us all about the intersections of murals, graffiti, and street art, and led us through a fun street art-inspired postcard making exercise. We look forward to seeing the work of this next generation of street artists who attended this workshop! Check out an interview with Rixy about the event here.

Photo credit: Chelsea Chen / Interview: Aaron Hwang

Advocacy

I90 Receives Federal Funding

Just announced this week, the Allston Multimodal Project is slated to receive $335 million from the Biden Administration's Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program. With the requirement that funds are obligated by September 2026, this award is expected to accelerate the planning and permitting process. The CRC has and will continue to remain involved as an advocate and task force member to ensure the project meets the grant program's purpose of  “improv[ing] walkability, safety, and affordable transportation access... especially in disadvantaged or underserved communities."

Photo: courtesy of Commonwealth Beacon

DCR Shade Structures

Climate projections for 2050 anticipate almost a month of daily highs above 90°F in Massachusetts—with a disproportionate impact on environmental justice populations, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases like asthma. DCR is addressing this by installing additional shade elements in their parks for visitors and staff to cool off under. Their plan identifies priority locations for shade and includes a variety of interventions: planting new trees, installing pergolas, gazebos, and more. The CRC attended DCR’s public meeting on February 29th and encouraged DCR to prioritize tree planting and maintenance planning so that trees can grow to maturity. Public comments will be accepted until March 15th, 2024 (tomorrow!) and may be submitted online here. 

Supporter Spotlight

Cerevel Therapeutics

The CRC is grateful for the support of Cerevel to help us steward and maintain the parks along the Charles River. Since 2022, Cerevel employees, interns, and co-ops have volunteered with the CRC twice a year, helping us prepare the parks for warmer months, and again later in the season to give the parks some extra TLC. We appreciate the enthusiasm their volunteers show for the work, as well as the financial support Cerevel provides to support our mission. Thank you Cerevel!

Instagram Action

February was Black History Month. On our Instagram, we celebrated the contributions of Briana King, an influential skateboarder working to make skateboarding a more inclusive and welcoming culture. King hosts meetups all over the world where she teaches women and LGBTQ+ skaters and builds their confidence. King’s work inspires us to continue uplifting community voices at the Lynch Family Skatepark, especially queer and BIPOC skaters whose identities may not align with the dominant narrative in the skate community.

Image is from an interview with Briana by Alexis Castro. Read the full article here.