CHARLES  RIVER  PARKLANDS  UPDATE
September 2003
Archives—Table of Contents

Advocacy

We are delighted about the appointment of Kathy Abbott as the new commissioner for the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Kathy has a strong track record in park stewardship and planning. As the former President and CEO of the Boston Harbor Island Alliance she is already familiar with parkland issues and how private non-profits can work with public agencies.

Conservancy Volunteers

Enjoy the crisp autumn air and fall foliage with us this month—spend a day helping out in the parklands! Upcoming events include brush and invasive species removal, staffing our booth at the Head of the Charles, and a few erosion control projects. For a list of dates and ways to get involved, see our upcoming volunteer events. You can also set up a service day for your company or community group. Email Britt Lundgren to find out how.

Thanks to several generous donors, we were able to purchase a one ton dump truck. Click on the image to see a full-sized photo of the new CRC truck and staff (left to right: Kathleen Fay, Summer Intern, Emily Twiss, Britt Lundgren, Renata von Tscharner, and Fritz Nelson).

We signed in our 1,000th volunteer on September 20th at a volunteer event on the Esplanade near Boston University, the exact site where we kicked off the Conservancy Volunteers program a year ago! Check our calendar in the next few weeks for news of our upcoming first anniversary celebration! See also an article appearing September 11th, 2003 in the Beacon Hill Times about the Conservancy Volunteers efforts (www.beaconhilltimes.com/times_feature3.mv?20030909).

Many thanks to the companies, universities, and community groups that volunteered for Conservancy Volunteers during the past 2 months: Berklee College of Music, Boston Cares, Emerson University, Marsh, Inc., MC Communications, MIT, Riverside Boat Club, Single Volunteers Boston, Tufts University, University of Rochester Alumni Association, and Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Volunteers needed for Pathways Survey!

Volunteers are needed to perform the second pathways survey (the first survey occurred in June 2003). Volunteers will monitor the intersections where the Dr. Paul Dudley White Pathway crosses River Street and North Beacon Street—counting pathway users and cars while documenting the conflicts between them. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, click on this announcement about the Dudley Pathways survey.

Program Spotlights

West Herter Park
The chain link fence that separated West Herter Parklands (Allston/Brighton section of parklands) from the pathway has been removed! The fence removal marks the beginning of a long-term Conservancy Volunteers project to clean and transform the neglected area into an inviting and enjoyable section of the parklands. Volunteers will perform general maintenance projects to make this newly gained park more accessible. The fence removal was made possible by a generous donation from a CRC member and the prompt permit approval from the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

2002-2003 Fiscal Year Wrap-Up
As the 2002-2003 fiscal year comes to a close, we would like to take a moment to thank all those who donated to the Charles River Conservancy this past year. Thanks to you, we were able to accomplish a great deal. We increased our Conservancy Volunteers Program and incorporated new projects and programs into our activities, such as youth service learning projects, and a series of public meetings for young skateboarders. We look forward to another great year ahead and thank you for your support!

Skatepark
The September 23rd skatepark meeting has been postponed until November. The November meeting will focus on skatepark design, and will feature the discussion of the preliminary skatepark design as well as a question and answer session with skatepark designers. Details to follow.

Boom Boom Huck Jam
The Tony Hawk Boom Boom Huck Jam (www.boomboomhuckjam.com) will be coming to town on October 25th and 26th. The Charles River Conservancy will be operating several New Basin Skatepark information tables at the event and we are looking for volunteers to help run the tables. To volunteer at the Tony Hawk shows on Oct 25 and 26th at the Fleet center, e-mail crc@thecharles.org.

Outstanding Skatepark Volunteer
Dotty Burstein, of Winchester MA, is our summer outstanding skatepark volunteer! Dotty has spent many hours ensuring that Massachusetts youth have a voice in the New Basin Skatepark design and planning process. Dotty has distributed and collected over one hundred New Basin Skatepark questionnaires at various skateparks throughout MA, enabling skateboarders to offer their thoughts and ideas about the New Basin Skatepark design. Thanks Dotty for all your hard work!

Inventing the Charles River lecture
Karl Haglund, Senior Urban Planner for the Department of Conservation and Recreation (formerly MDC), and Renata von Tscharner, Founder and President of the Charles River Conservancy, will give a lecture about the evolution of the parklands and the plans for the future. The lecture is hosted by the Cambridge Center for Adult Education at 56 Brattle Street in Cambridge. To learn more about this event, register to attend, or get directions, visit the Cambridge Center for Adult Education website (www.ccae.org).

Calendar

From participating in a Conservancy volunteer event, to exploring the "lost half mile", to surveying pathway users, there are plenty of ways to enjoy autumn on the Charles. For a list of upcoming events, visit the CRC Calendar.

Picture of the Month

Sculptor Nancy Schon has created bronze paperweights for donors giving $5,000 and more towards the skatepark planning.

If you have a picture you'd like to submit for a future picture of the month, please contact us at crc@thecharles.org.

To see previous pictures of the month, see the archives page.

CRC Membership

Thank you to all of you who have already sent in your membership dues! In case it has slipped your attention, please do it today. Your financial support is crucial to our work! You can join by check, credit card or on line. Our mailing address is:

[See new contact information.]

If you know someone who would enjoy this newsletter, please feel free to pass it along. Interested readers can subscribe to the e-newsletter by sending an email to majordomo@thecharles.org with the words "subscribe members" in the message body text.

If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, send an email to majordomo@thecharles.org with the words "unsubscribe members" in the message body text, or email crc@thecharles.org with your request.

The Charles River Conservancy takes as its mission the renewal and stewardship of the Charles River Parklands and their surroundings, particularly parks, parkways and bridges. The Conservancy engages in numerous Parklands restoration and improvement initiatives, including access and safety, education and outreach, and planning and maintenance programs, and relies heavily on individual contributions. To support the Charles River Conservancy, click here. Thank you!