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 John Broderick, our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, at jrb@thecharles.org.

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

Upcoming events

January is often one of New England’s toughest months, but it’s also one of the more beautiful times to enjoy the Charles River Parklands. We’ll be continuing our pruning efforts all month long, as always with a focus on proper arbor management to encourage healthy growth, improved aesthetics, and pedestrian safety. I’ll also reiterate December’s message: Pruning trees in the Charles River Parklands is fun, informative, a great way to beat cabin fever, and a better workout than joining a gym! Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, and I hope that you take the opportunity to join us for one of our volunteer pruning events this month (dates below). And a reminder if you're interested in bringing out a group in the upcoming months: sign up soon, as we’re already booking well into the spring!

Saturday, January 9th
with Community Rowing.

Saturday, January 23rd
with Riverside Boat Club in Cambridge.

Saturday, January 30th
in Boston.

To sign up, or for inquiries, please contact John Broderick. A wait list will be set up once we’ve reached capacity, and final event details will be sent out in the week preceding to all people who have signed up to attend. You can also contact John to find out about future events or to schedule a group event of your own.

If you’re interested in viewing photographs from the bulb-planting events of October and November 2009, they can be easily accessed on the Charles River Conservancy's Facebook page.

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