CHARLES  RIVER  PARKLANDS  UPDATE
April 2002
Archives—Table of Contents

A Message From The President

Dear Members and Parkland Friends,

Two years have passed now since the founding of the Charles River Conservancy and I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for joining in our efforts to renew that most inspiring of all public places -- the Charles River Parklands. For my part, the glittering water and verdant tree canopy of the Parklands have always exerted a subtle influence, drawing me as if by magic to the banks of the river.

Last December, that magical power became stronger as four river bridges linking Cambridge and Boston stood brilliantly illuminated on the cold, still night of the Winter Solstice. The beauty of the scene, especially the sight of the bridges reflected on the water, the peal of bells, and the joy in the eyes of observers filled me with awe. How striking, I thought, and all the result of the Conservancy's work to exert its influence on just one part of the majestic "common ground" of the Parklands. Simply by directing lights onto those elegant but crumbling spans we drew wide attention to the need to restore both the bridges and adjacent Parklands.

For me there was an added revelation -- that the Charles River Parklands can bring joy in even the darkest hour. Standing on Weeks Footbridge on a chilly night surrounded by hundreds of parklands supporters felt exhilarating on two counts. First, it confirmed for me that the renewal of this "democratic common ground" is both necessary and feasible. But better still, in our act of "highlighting" the problems and opportunities at hand, the renewal had effectively already started.

My thanks to all of you who ventured out on that chilly night, and a special thanks to those whose generosity and hard work made that rare experience possible. I am also grateful to those of you who have contributed financially. Often your contributions have been accompanied by words of encouragement and thanks, offers to volunteer, and charming personal stories and pictures.

Your outpouring of affection for the Parklands confirms my own feeling that in connecting to them we are creating a sense of community space and identity that deeply enriches our lives. This place feels real, not virtual or commercial. History, of course, tells us it is an invented place, but one in which nature is encouraged and promoted for the enjoyment of all.

That act of invention, and reinvention, guides our work. Had Charles Eliot not purchased the polluted industrial backwater that was the tidal basin of the Charles at the end of the 19th century, we would not have this treasure, and his vision, with which to renew the Parklands for the future. Eliot dreamed of an urban lake surrounded by parks in which to stroll, to meet neighbors and friends, to exercise and to relax. The long-term challenge is to fulfill his dream in its entirety.

Our task today is to continue to invent and renew. While the polluting industries on the shores of the Charles have been replaced, we still bear the intrusive burden of major transportation routes separating the river, parklands and adjacent neighborhoods. The impact of blacktop, noise, pollution and lack of access needs careful study and innovative solutions if we are to overcome these barriers and re-green the center of the Hub of the Universe.

As you will read in our newsletter, we have started to reach out to abutters, to address restoration, maintenance and access issues, and to provide education. But there are many large challenges ahead of us. We need your thoughts and volunteer efforts as well as your ongoing financial support if we are to carry forward in Eliot's great tradition and continue the act of reinvention.

Your interest and participation are vital in all that we do. Please take some time to enjoy the Parklands in these first, fine days of spring. They are all yours.

Renata von Tscharner

Charles River Parklands is published by The Charles River Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of the Basin parklands of the Charles River.

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© 2002, The Charles River Conservancy.