Summerbridge Service Learning Projects Create a Healthier Hell's Half Acre

Newton MA, August 7, 2003 . . . This summer the Charles River Conservancy (CRC), a parklands advocacy organization, partnered with Summerbridge Cambridge, a program dedicated to inspiring academic achievement among youth, to create an innovative and exciting service-learning project for a select group of Cambridge youth. Over the past several weeks, students enrolled in the Summerbridge "River Activism" class at the Shady Hill School spent a great deal of time on the banks of the Charles River learning about the local ecology while working on educational and service projects.

The CRC, a non profit organization dedicated to the renewal and stewardship of the Charles River Parklands, viewed the opportunity to work with Summerbridge faculty and students as an excellent way to introduce youth to one of Boston's most used and enjoyed, yet under-maintained treasures: the Charles River Parklands. The CRC understands the importance of actively involving youth in the stewardship of the parklands and was thrilled by how interested and enthusiastic the students were about the projects.

Summerbridge youth worked through the rain and the hot summer sun to improve the Cambridge section of the parklands along Memorial Drive downriver of the Cambridge Boat Club as well as in Hell's Half Acre. These students weren't simply wandering the parklands picking up a few pieces of stray litter. Rather, the Summerbridge youth set out with high goals: to pick up as much trash as possible at their two locations and also remove two types of invasive plant species in the area—False Indigo along Memorial Drive and Black Swallow-Wort in Hell's Half Acre.

The service-learning project not only increased the health and beauty of the Memorial Drive Parklands and Hell's Half Acre, but according to the Summerbridge Faculty member Ranjana Reddy, the service component "gave the students a sense of responsibility. The service-learning project showed them the importance of working to keep the environment healthy, and it proved to them that they could and should do something about it." The objective of the service-learning component was to accomplish just that—to give students the opportunity to explore the parklands, build an appreciation for the natural wonder which blesses Boston, and nurture a sense of pride and responsibility for keeping them clean and beautiful.

The Charles River Conservancy hopes to continue its service-learning programs in Hell's Half Acre by partnering with a Shady Hill School class this fall. Hell's Half Acre, the last remaining wetland along the Charles River, covers about three acres of land (despite its name), and is an invaluable resource to the local schools. The outlook for this stretch of parklands is uncertain; although hope remains that the area will become a focal point for much needed attention and maintenance in the near future. For now, the site can be classified as somewhat under appreciated and under maintained, yet it continues to be a wonderful resource for educational programs such as the Charles River Conservancy / Summerbridge service-learning project. The CRC is hopeful that youth programs such as Summerbridge will continue to keep Hell's Half Acre clean and healthy, and they applaud the hard work and dedication the Summerbridge students brought to their service project in the area.