CHARLES  RIVER  PARKLANDS  UPDATE
March 2008
Archives—Table of Contents

Earth Day Clean-up on the Charles, April 26th

On Saturday April 26th from 9am-12pm, the Charles River Conservancy will again be partnering on the Ninth Annual Charles River Clean-up. Last year we had the largest Earth Day Clean-Up in the country – help us do the same this year! The CRC volunteers and staff will be hard at work on both sides of the river. We hope to see your group out there! Volunteers are invited to a picnic and tree planting ceremony following the clean-up.

To join or learn more about the Earth Day clean-up, or if you would like to schedule a future event for your school, company, or organization, please contact Evan Moss at the number in the left-hand column, or send email to edm@thecharles.org.

Special Spring Mailing: “River Stories”

Thank you to all who sent in your memories of time spent along the Charles! Watch your mailbox for the colorful booklet with stories, poems and water colors. We are thankful to the Boston Globe for sponsoring River Stories and to Charles River Publishing for working with us on this special edition.

If you are a reading/writing teacher, let us know if you would like free copies for your classroom by contacting ejb@thecharles.org.

Support the Environmental Bond Bill!

This current bill is the most important environmental legislation in five years and needs your help to pass it. Join the MA Land Trust Coalition on Wednesday, April 9 at 10 amto tell the legislature to pass the bill this session! We will hear from EOEEA Secretary Bowles, Rep. Frank Smizik and others (possibly including Governor Patrick) and then go meet with our Senators and Representatives in their State House offices.

For more information about the rally and the Bond, click here.

A New Future for Storrow Drive?

The CRC is proposing a car-free Storrow Drive from 7:30 am to 10:30 am on Sunday mornings to offer a place for vigorous bicycling and in-line skating uninterrupted for several miles. Send your comments and ideas to ngb@thecharles.org.

Recently, Mayor Menino proposed another manner in which to reclaim Storrow Drive for its recreational capacity: a 100-foot wide greenway to cover the road. Read about it in the Boston Globe article from March 14, 2008.

Spring is Arriving – Celebrate with a Walk Along the Charles!

Join Charles River Conservancy president Renata von Tscharner as she leads a WalkBoston Urban River Rings tour along the banks of the Charles in Watertown on Saturday, April 12th at 10:30 am.

For more information on these and other walks, or to register, please visit WalkBoston.

Charles River Skatepark Update

The Seattle-based firm “Grindline” will be coming to Boston in early April to share their updated plans for the skatepark with the CRC’s Skatepark Committee and the state agencies involved in the site (MTA and DCR). They will also meet with the engineers (VHB) and soil consultants (CDM), and with representatives of area skaters for final input on the skatepark design.

We are moving steadily towards a groundbreaking, but we still need $150,000 to reach our $2.3m goal to build this world-class facility.

Visit www.charlesriverskatepark.org to make a contribution or for updated information.

"Organization of the Year Award" from Cambridge Community Television goes to CRC!

The Charles River Conservancy Parklands Show has been informing CCTV viewers of happenings along the Charles and ways in which citizens can become stewards of these treasured Parklands through interviews with local politicians, artists, and other parkland advocates. CCTV states that "Organization of the Year Award" is presented annually to the organization that has made extraordinary contributions to CCTV.

Tune in to Channel 9 (Cambridge only) every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to see what all the buzz is about! Shows are replayed­ at 12:30 a.m. the same day.

We also have a live talk show on BNN (Comcast Channels 9 and 23, RCN Channels 15 and 83, Boston only) which airs every Monday night at 7 p.m. and is repeated Tuesdays at 3:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., and on Sundays at 8 a.m.

June 15th Second Annual Charles River Master Swim

Last summer, 68 master swimmers took part in first open water swim race in the Charles since it was closed to swimming in the 1950s. This year’s swim will continue to celebrate the efforts already made to clean the river, and to highlight the need for recreational river swimming for all in the future. Click here to register with the Charles River Swimming Club or contact the CRC’s Swimmable Charles Coordinator Ben Martens for more information at 617-619-2854 or bdm@thecharles.org.

Contributing to the CRC

To contribute to the CRC, click here. All first time donations will be matched.

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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