CHARLES  RIVER  PARKLANDS  UPDATE
April 2005
Archives—Table of Contents

Advocacy

Now is the time to contact your legislator about funding for the Parklands, the Charles River Skatepark project and the parkways! Please contact your legislator and encourage them to support the following crucial amendments and line items!

Amendment #1081 calls for at least $150,000 to go towards costs associated with the design and construction of the Charles River Skatepark in the City of Cambridge. For more information, visit the Conservancy's skatepark webpage.

Amendment #1361 calls for the protection of the historic and scenic roadways, parkways and boulevards of Massachusetts and the completion of the Historic Parkways Initiative Treatment Guidelines.

Funding for Urban Parks has been cut by 35% in the last four years. 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. Click on the following link to learn more about the Environmental League of Massachusetts - talking points. Thank you very much to the Environmental League of Massachusetts for its continued leadership in advocacy efforts.

Not sure who your legislators are? Click here to find out who your legislators are.

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 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 Emily Twiss at the CRC office (see phone number in column to the left) or visit our 5th Anniversary Luncheon webpage.

CRC 5th Anniversary Luncheon Honorees Selected
On Friday, June 17th the Charles River Conservancy will recognize the great work of two very dedicated individuals. Nancy Schön, renowned public artist best known for her Make Way for Ducklings Sculpture, will receive the Charles Eliot Stewardship Award for her outstanding work for the Charles River Skatepark project. Paul Grogan of the Boston Foundation will receive the Helen Storrow Visionary Award for his dynamic civic leadership.

Conservancy Volunteers

6th Annual Charles River Clean Up
The 6th Annual Charles River Clean Up will take place on Saturday, April 30th from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The Charles River Conservancy, in collaboration with Senator Steven A. Tolman's Office, the Charles River Watershed Association, Massachusetts Community Water Watch, the Esplanade Association and the DCR, has organized this annual large-scale clean-up effort along the Charles River. Keep an eye out for our dedicated volunteers hard at work keeping the Parklands beautiful! For more information, please contact Evan Moss for more information at edm@thecharles.org.

Invest in YOUR Parklands . . .

For those of you who have recently given to the Conservancy, thank you, we greatly appreciate your commitment. Your investment strengthens our ability to renew and steward the Charles River Parklands. Please consider supporting the Conservancy. You can donate online or send a check to our mailing address, shown. in the column to the left.

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

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.

Charles River Conservancy's New Web Address

The CRC has officially changed our web address and email addresses. You will now find the Conservancy at www.thecharles.org. Our email addresses also end with @thecharles.org now. The old website and email addresses will continue to work but we hope you enjoy typing the newer, shorter versions!

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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