"It is the calling and duty of the conscientious landscape architect to devise ways of arranging land and its accompanying landscape so that, whatever the particular purpose in view may be, the result shall be as thoroughly convenient and at the same time as thoroughly beautiful as possible. . ."    (Charles Eliot)

About Us

The CRC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit citizens’ advocacy group founded in 2000 and dedicated to the renewal and stewardship of the Charles River Parklands from the Boston Harbor to the Watertown Dam. The Conservancy works to make these parklands more attractive, active and accessible to all. The Conservancy brings some 2000 volunteers to the parklands every year and information about the ecology and water quality are important components of this program. Resources on this website include a Water Quality Brochure and quiz, which, although primarily oriented to the Charles River Basin, could be adapted to apply to other waterways.

The Conservancy works to create better understanding of the best uses of the basin through education, public dialogue, and interpretive programs. Promotion of increased access, good planning, and management practices is designed to enhance the architecture, landscape, and amenities of the basin. The Conservancy seeks funding for public-private partnership initiatives.

Guiding the work of the Conservancy is the legacy of Charles Eliot, whose vision of a comprehensive park system built on a grand scale has sustained and enriched us all with the creation of green space throughout greater Boston.

The Conservancy's board of directors currently includes

• Renata von Tscharner of Newton (architect, urban planner and founder of the Conservancy)
• Jay Baldwin of Cambridge (Wind River, a venture capital firm)
• Daniel Calano of Cambridge (managing partner of Prospectus, a real estate development and consulting firm)
• Catherine Donaher of Brookline (principal/CEO of CD&A, a planning and development consulting firm)
• Michael Epstein of Cambridge (retired neonatologist and COO of Children's Hospital and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center)
• Virginia Foote of Cambridge (former Controller and Director of Strategic Operations for Hult International Business School)
• Catherine Henn of Cambridge (former overseer of the Boston Globe Foundation, board member of the John F. Kennedy Library)
• Mark Kraczkiewicz of Watertown (retired economist and strategic planner formerly with the US Agency for International Development)
• Linda Lerner of Boston (former VP of Human Resources for UST Corp and US Trust Bank, consultant in leadership development and human resources management)
• Matthew Petrie of Watertown (Senior Architect with Leers Weinzapfel Associates)
• Nancy Schön, of Newton (renowned artist/sculptor)
• Karen Schwartzman of Boston (founder and principal of a crisis management public relations firm)

The Conservancy also has a number of staff and advisors.

A full list of the newspaper articles about the Conservancy and the Conservancy's press releases can be found in the press section on our site. A description of on-going and future projects is also available.