Conservancy Volunteers/Service Learning

See upcoming volunteer events
See pictures of previous events

Every year, the Charles River Conservancy brings over 2,500 volunteers out to perform vital maintenance work and build permanent improvements in the Parklands.

We welcome school classes, civic and religious groups, and businesses looking to give back to their community with a Work Day along the Charles. This is a great way to get outside and have fun working with your friends and neighbors, meet new people, and help restore the centerpiece of Greater Boston's park system! Visit our Facebook page to see pictorial diaries of past events and simply scroll down to view upcoming volunteer events.

Volunteers help with everything from trimming brush along the riverbanks, pruning trees, and helping to control invasive plant species, to planting a new landscape, reseeding lawns, and repainting benches and fences. The opportunities are as varied as the views along the river.

To volunteer, book a work day for yourself, your group or business, or schedule a visit to your classroom, contact Logan Walsh, our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, at lcw@thecharles.org.

All projects are conducted in partnership with the Department of Conservation and Recreation and under the guidance of the local Conservation Commission.

Note from John Broderick

As many of you already know, in July I'll be leaving the Charles River Conservancy to study law at the University of Michigan, where I'll be focusing on environmental law and public policy. I will certainly miss my time along the banks of the Charles, and I'd like to thank the many Conservancy Volunteers for the many terrific examples of civic engagement - and work ethic - that they've given me.

I am happy to let you know that I have been working with Logan Walsh for the past month and a half, and I have every expectation that he'll do wonderful things for our Charles River Parklands and the Conservancy Volunteers Program. I hope that you all give him a warm welcome when you see him out on the river, as he certainly deserves one!

Thanks again,
John

Upcoming events

June turned out to the be the perfect month, didn't it? Good weather, smiling faces, and - of course - volunteering with the Conservancy! Since our last newsletter we beautified Herter Memorial Garden with Bank of America, painted a dilapidated fence and cleared invasive plants with Infinity Pharmaceuticals, and gave some TLC to a woodland trail in Herter Park West with Millennium Pharmaceuticals. But the fun didn't stop there. Tufts Alumni, Young Non-Profit Professional Network, SHOWA Boston, and our corp of Conservancy Volunteers came out for a show-stopping cleanup of bike lane along Greenough Blvd. in Cambridge. With the summer moving along (a little too fast if you ask me!) the Charles River Parklands are looking beautiful and ecologically healthy. Don't forget, though, the effort of a Conservancy Volunteer is never finished - there's still lots of good work to be done.

July will prove to be just as busy as June - if not busier. Many groups are scheduled to join us on the river for invasive control, opening vistas, clearing bike lanes, painting, and pruning. While I'm on the subject, mark your calendars for July 17th and July 31st, our open volunteer days (see below).

Saturday, July 17, Cambridge/Watertown line
We'll be working with volunteers from Gay for Good Boston to clear sections of pathway along the Cambridge/Watertown line.

Saturday, July 31, Cambridge/Watertown line
We'll be holding a volunteer event with Community Running and again focusing on clearing pathway along the Cambridge/Watertown line. Each event is instrumental in creating safe, beautiful, and functional public pathways - lend a hand!

Both events event are open to all volunteers and friends, and we'd love to have you join us for a productive - and fun - day out on the river. Please contact Logan at lcw@thecharles.org if you're interested in signing-up or have questions about this event.

Bike Path Initiative

This summer we here at Conservancy Volunteer Headquarters are looking to start work on a campaign to make the Chalres River bike pathways more safe and easy to use. For example: Volunteers recently reclaimed nearly two feet of bike lane by removing invasive plants and 6 inches of soil which had grown over the path. Presto! New bike path appears in one morning. We hope to continue similar projects as well as painting new lines and directional arrows to increase public safety along the pathways. If you are an avid pathway user and are interested in these projects don't hesitate to contact me, Logan, at lcw@thecharles.org.

10th Anniversary Celebration Recap!

It feels like only yesterday when the 501(c)3 stork dropped the Conservancy off in Harvard Square. Now, ten years later, we're proud to report that by all measures the Conservancy's celebration of our 10th Anniversary was a huge success. It's a testament to our leadership, staff, and volunteers that the Conservancy has been stewarding the Charles River Parklands for 10 whole years. Time sure flies, doesn't it? Check out our Facebook page for pictures from our anniversary event

Thank you!

We would like to thank all of the companies, groups, and organizations that have participated in events and contributed their support in the past year. Our thanks to:

Participants

Adobe
Advent Software
Akamai
ATV, Inc.
Bank of America
Bates College Alumni
Beacon Academy
Best Buy
Boston Cares
Boston University Law School
Boston University School of Management
Bowdoin Alumni Association
Bowdoin College Alumni
Buckingham, Brown, and Nichols
Bunker Hill Community College
Cambridge Boat Club
Cambridge Rindge and Latin Crew
Cambridge Rindge and Latin Environmental Action Team
Cambridge Running Club
Central Square Taekwondo
Chinook Montessori School
Community Boating
Dyax
Earthwatch
East End House
Entercomm
Excel Academy Charter School
Friends of the Watertown Riverfront
Harvard Alumni Association
Harvard Business School
Harvard Development Office
Harvard Extension School Environmental Club
Harvard Graduate Students
Harvard University
Hyatt
Intercontinental Real Estate
ITA Software
JumpTap
Ken Sazama Realty
Leaps in Literacy
Living Proof, Inc.
Marquette Alumni
Marsh USA
Mathworks
McGill Alumni
MIT Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity
MIT Beta Theta Pi fraternity
MIT CityDays
MIT Graduate Student Council
MIT Graduate Students for Electrical Engineering
MIT Lemelson Program
MIT NEXT House
MIT Pi Lamda Phi fraternity
MIT SEA Grant
MIT Theta IX fraternity
Mount Auburn Cemetary
NASC
New Balance
Nokia
Northeastern University American Society of Civil Engineers
Northeastern University Honors Program
Northeastern University nuServes
Novartis
Pfizer
Prospect Hill Academy Charter School
Riverside Boat Club
Saucony
Shaw Leadership Program at Boston College
Single Volunteers of Boston
Skidmore Alumni
Timberland
Trillium Asset Management
Tufts Health Plan
Tufts University Focus
University of Michigan Alumni
University of Vermont Alumni
University of Virginia Alumni
Vistaprint
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Winter, Wyman & Co.
YMCA Camp Chickami