Cheers to Volunteers

Pro tip: NOW is the time to book next year's event

Hot off the press: Our calendar of available volunteer events for 2025 is ready! We encourage you to view next year’s event opportunities and schedule an engagement with us soon. (Our open dates go fast!)

View available 2025 dates here and reach out to Sasha at svallieres@thecharles.org with any questions. Our calendar fills up sooner than you might expect, so we hope to hear from you. 

October brought colorful leaves, mild temperatures, and over 220 dedicated Conservancy Volunteers to the parks! Thank you to the wonderful volunteer groups that joined us for fall-flavored fun:

• Inari volunteers painted 20 benches, cut back overgrown vegetation, and removed litter along Memorial Drive.
• Noble and Greenough students removed an impressive amount of litter from the shoreline and green space in Herter Park.
• Vantage Partners painted the stage and bench seating in the Herter Park Amphitheatre. 
• Matchpoint Therapeutics removed litter and painted benches along “Little” Greenough Boulevard. 
• Alexandria Real Estate removed litter, raked leaves, managed invasive plants, and painted over graffiti in Magazine Beach.
• Harvard undergraduate students removed 27 pounds of litter from Riverbend Park.
• Community members raked leaves in the Herter Park Amphitheatre and removed litter from Herter Park.
• Boston Beer Company (pictured above) raked leaves, removed litter, and managed invasive plants in Magazine Beach.

Seasonal Sendoff to the Floating Wetland

Catch its last proud moments of the year

Parting is such sweet sorrow… especially for our little green island in the middle of the Charles! Catch the floating wetland by Longfellow Bridge (and its grand display of 6’-tall hibiscus moscheutos swamp rose-mallow) for one last time this weekend before its annual tradition of being towed to its winterproofed spot at MIT Sailing Pavilion. Otherwise, if you need a floating wetland fix (doesn’t everyone?) during the bleaker months, take a peek over the railing at the Sailing Pavilion for an up-close view while it is docked for the season. Never fear, the floating wetland will return to its mooring near Broad Canal next Spring. Big thanks to the tow support, engineers, and MIT for keeping the wetland strong & resilient!

Skater Showcase: SAPS Boston

Why we heart this local skate collective

Simply put, SAPS (Saturday Aggressive Park Skate) brings people together through skating. After connecting with collectives like Skate Hags and SkateBoston, the founders of SAPS created its group to focus on skateparks, offering a mix of skating and socializing. Skaters of all levels—from first-timers to experts—join their weekly Saturday meetups at parks like Lynch Family Skatepark, Harvard Pump Track, and Lexington Skatepark for skating and events. SAPS is all about learning, teaching, and fostering community through beginner-friendly skates and clinics. Check their Instagram @saps_boston and Discord for meetup locations and to join the fun!

Do you know of a skater or group we should feature in the next skate scene spotlight? Reply to this email or DM us on Instagram.

Advocacy

We attended DCR's recent public meeting regarding the Artesani Parking Lot Improvements Project (as part of the Herter Park Master Plan). We commend DCR for designing for the widely diverse needs of the Herter Park community, and we are pleased to report that the recent implementation of 3-hour parking signs has led to broader community access to the park (a request we made in our 2023 public comment letter). We continue to strongly advocate for a traffic-calming park entrance gateway design that prioritizes the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, a comprehensive vegetation management plan, and the agency’s proactive coordination with other ongoing public projects in the neighborhood. We look forward to working together with DCR and Allston-Brighton community advocates to achieve a design that prioritizes visitor safety, park access, and river resilience.

Welcome Erica Evans to Our Team!

Meet the CRC's Development Manager

Erica (she/her) is passionate about strengthening relationships with existing CRC donors and fostering new connections. She brings experience from her previous positions at other nonprofits and within the art world, which has given her a thorough understanding of fundraising, special events, and the power of positive donor relations. Erica graduated from Brandeis University with BAs in Art History and German Studies, and has an MA in Art History from Hunter College. As part of her master’s thesis, she wrote about the importance of natural living for city dwellers at the turn of the 19th century, sparking a passion for the significance of good stewardship of our natural resources in everyday urban life. In her free time, Erica enjoys reading, visiting museums, and perfecting her skills to make the perfect cup of coffee. A Boston-area native, she grew up kayaking on the Charles.

Free Bird Walk at Magazine Beach

Birding is for everyone

Join Mass Audubon for a Bird Walk at Magazine Beach this Saturday, November 16, 2024, from 8-10am. Adults and families (ages 14 and up) are invited to explore this parkland along the Charles River, an urban oasis for both migrating and common birds. Don’t miss out on a fantastic opportunity to learn fun facts about the natural world, enjoy autumnal fresh air, and connect with other curious explorers. Binoculars will be available for use. Registration is required for this free event, so be sure to secure your spot and prepare for an engaging morning surrounded by fascinating birds!

Supporter Spotlight

We extend our thanks to Cambridge's Reed Hilderbrand for their generous contribution to the Charles River Conservancy. We were pleased to host a kayak tour out to the floating wetland—an engaging outing as one might expect with these adventurous landscape architects known for works on the Charles, the Hudson, the Tennessee, and the Mississippi as well as for Boston's Franklin Park Action Plan! We appreciate Reed Hilderbrand's commitment to our mission and look forward to continuing our partnership in celebrating and protecting the Charles River and its parks.

Instagram Action

A few weeks ago, the CRC team took a stroll through Hell’s Half Acre, a 7.5-acre undeveloped zone along Greenough Boulevard. We spotted a cardinal, red-bellied woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, many house sparrows, and more! 🦆 Take a peek at some of the beautiful bird photos we managed to capture along the way.