CHARLES  RIVER  PARKLANDS  UPDATE
March 2005
Archives—Table of Contents

Advocacy

Now is the time to take action on behalf of Massachusetts's environment and the Charles River Parklands. Please set aside some time to call your legislators, and especially House Ways and Means members to urge their support for an increased environmental budget. The House Ways and Means committee will be finalizing their budget recommendations by mid-April, so they need to hear from you NOW in order to consider your request in time to adjust their budget numbers.

Funding for Urban Parks has been cut by 35% in the last four years. The Department of Conservation and Recreation does not have the resources to maintain the parks resulting in crumbling facilities and unsafe conditions for users. We want to ask committee members to fund line item 2820-0100 at $31,851,794. Let your legislator know that trails and pathways are unsafe and that the Governor's budget does not provide enough funding for the seven new urban parks coming online in the next two years. Please click on the following link to learn more about talking points. Thank you very much to the Environmental League of Massachusetts for its continued leadership in advocacy efforts.

Programs and Projects

CRC 5th Anniversary Luncheon—The Power of Parklands
Registration is open for the Conservancy's 5th Anniversary Luncheon on Friday, June 17th 2005 in the State Room at 60 State Street. The event, featuring Parklands' advocate and keynote speaker David Gergen, former advisor to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton, will gather over 300 local business, government and community leaders to celebrate five years of Conservancy dedication and progress—plus the commitment of thousands of individuals like you.

For more information about tickets or sponsorship, please contact Phil Kilbridge by phone at the CRC office (see phone number in column to the left), or visit our 5th Anniversary Luncheon webpage.

Conservancy Volunteers

Parklands Ambassador Training
Do you love the Charles River Parklands, talking to people and spending time along the Charles River? Are you interested in opportunities to become more knowledgeable about the history and ecology of the Parklands? If so, then the Parklands Ambassadors program might be for you. Ambassadors answer questions about the Parklands, provide information about events, membership, volunteering and recreational opportunities in the Parklands and more!

The Conservancy will hold a Parklands Ambassador training session on Saturday, April 16 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. For more information or to sign up for the training session, contact Evan Moss by email at edm@thecharles.org or by phone at the CRC office (see phone number in column to the left).

Volunteer Opportunities,
including the 6th Annual Charles River Clean Up
Spring has arrived! Now is the perfect time to head outdoors and feel the warmth of the sun after a long, cold winter.

The 6th Annual Charles River Clean Up, scheduled for Saturday, April 30th from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., is open to you as an individual or with a group. The Charles River Conservancy in collaboration with Senator Steven Tolman's Office, the Charles River Watershed Association, Massachusetts Community Water Watch, the Esplanade Association and the DCR have organized this annual large-scale clean-up effort along the Charles River. For more information, please contact Evan Moss by email at edm@thecharles.org or by phone at the CRC office (see phone number in column to the left)

Click on the following link to see volunteer dates and times. The schedule for Conservancy Volunteers is filling up fast—set up a service day for your group today. Contact Evan Moss by email at edm@thecharles.org or by phone at the CRC office (see phone number in column to the left).

Skatepark Project

"A Godmother on the Waterfront"
"It's not a scene that most people would find inspiring. Most people, if they found themselves here, at night, in a gloomy section of East Cambridge riverfront dominated by towering highway ramps and piles of gravel, would head back out again as soon as possible. But to Renata von Tscharner, this no man's land is the perfect blank canvass..." Read more about the Charles River Skatepark plans in the Boston Sunday Globe article.

Young Athletes Raise Funds for Skatepark
The Charles River Skatepark benefit concerts continue to entertain and raise funds. Check out upcoming concert dates and locations—visit the Charles River Skatepark page.

Keep an Eye Out for the Parklands

In early April the Charles River Conservancy's Parklands newsletter should arrive in your mailbox. Inside you will find Parklands' news and notables, a quiz to test your knowledge on movies featuring the Charles River, and legislative updates. If you don't receive your copy of Parklands, please email crc@thecharles.org and we will gladly send you a copy.

Invest in YOUR Parklands . . .

For those of you who have already given to the Conservancy, thank you, we greatly appreciate your commitment. Your investment strengthens our ability to renew and steward the Charles River Parklands. If you haven't given yet, please consider supporting the Conservancy. You can donate online or send a check to our mailing address, shown. in the column to the left.

Mark Your Calendar

The Conservancy, in collaboration with the Charles River Watershed Association the Environmental Protection Agency, Swiss House and EF, will host the Charles River Invitational Swim at noon, July 17, 2005. Visit the beautiful new Nashua Street Park between the Science Museum and Spaulding Rehab Hospital to watch history made as over 50 swimmers leap into the Charles River from Duck Tour boats to celebrate the river's improved water quality and the continuation of the effort to bring safe swimming back to the Charles. More information will be announced as the swim draws near.

CRC Calendar

From guided tours, to group runs and day-long bike tours, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the Charles River Parklands this spring. For a list of upcoming events, visit the CRC Calendar.

Picture of the Month

Spring is a great time to volunteer on the Parklands! Here are some of our wonderful volunteers hard at work on the Parklands.

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.

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!

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