Get to Know the SkAG

Say hi to our skatepark and public art advocates

CRC, DCR, SkAG in collaboration (L-R): Taylor Leonard (CRC), Tati, Rena, Belle, Peter, Paul Fahey (DCR), Caroline, Xavier, Drew McKenna (CRC)

Meet our Skatepark Advisory Group (SkAG) for 2026! This six-person cohort is committed to advocate for the Lynch Family Skatepark, brainstorm ideas for future programming, and select our Graffiti Artist-in-Residence for this year’s season. The collective range of experiences in the group includes skating, rollerblading, marketing, construction, photography, and much more. SkAG has led conversations with the CRC and DCR about park programs, future additions to the park, and ways to engage the community. Follow us on Instagram to be first to know who SkAG selects for the 2026 Graffiti Artist-in-Residence.

The Debut of CREW 2026

Our team of season-long volunteers are ready!

Spring is just around the corner, which means our intrepid CREW (Charles River Environmental Watch) members will soon be back out there in the parks. These dedicated volunteers serve as the CRC’s extra eyes, ears, and hands. Our Stewards pick up litter and report on invasive species in their assigned areas, while Vegetation Monitors observe designated test plots to document the plant community’s response to our restoration efforts in Hell’s Half Acre. For the upcoming season, we are very excited to welcome 2 new stewards and 6 new monitors, bringing our total number of CREW members up to a record high of 26!

Floating Wetland Spring Move Soon

What's that in the water?

Signs of the turning season: green shoots, emerging birdsong, and our Floating Wetland makes its annual move back for its 7th season (moseying downstream along a towpath that runs under the Longfellow “Salt and Pepper” Bridge, as pictured above from 2025). Once the weather warms and the Charles River is safely past any chance of freezing, the wetland will be towed from its winter berth at the MIT Sailing Pavilion to its usual spot near Broad Canal. Stay tuned for updates on Instagram as we get closer to announcing the arrival of moving day.

📷: Kevin Bennett, MIT Sea Grant

MWRA Update: CSOs and You

Plus, help bring nature to the ballot!

Last month, the MWRA Board approved a CSO plan that would still allow sewage to overflow into the Charles River, Mystic River, and Alewife Brook during big storms in 2050 instead of choosing the stronger option that would have nearly eliminated these discharges for a few dollars more per household each month. Along with countless others, we’ve sent a letter to Governor Healey sharing our concerns and pushing for a plan that truly protects our health, our river, and future generations. We invite you to review the details on our website and write to the Governor and your legislators to tell them why investing in a clean Charles River matters to you. 

Volunteer opportunity! The CRC is a member of the Nature for Massachusetts Coalition, and we invite all nature lovers to participate in an upcoming virtual Spring Signature Collection Training to help advance the Nature for All Fund. This important initiative will use revenue from existing taxes to protect Massachusetts’ forests, farms, water resources, and wildlife habitats; enhance climate resilience; and improve parks and trails across the state. In order to place this initiative on the ballot, the coalition must collect 21,000 signatures this spring. Whether you've never done signature collection or just need a refresher, this training is for you!

CRC Team News

Meet Pablo, new Park Resilience Project Manager

Please help us welcome Pablo Brenes Coto, the CRC’s Park Resilience Project Manager, as the tenth (!) member of the team. Pablo (he/him) has spent most of his professional career working along the Charles River at the Museum of Science and the Esplanade Association. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Wheaton College, MA and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in City Planning at Boston University. Pablo’s favorite part of cities are their green spaces, and he believes that everyone should have access to a public space where they relax, exercise, and spend time with family and friends. When he is not working, Pablo enjoys taking long walks in a nearby park, riding his bike, reading, and playing board games with his friends.

Skatepark Art Featured on GBH

Listen to The Culture Show live interview

Taylor Leonard (CRC Program and Community Partner Manager) and Matt Ringler (photographer and community curator) joined The Culture Show on GBH to talk about the "Free to Be" gallery show at the Multicultural Arts Center and Lynch Family Skatepark. In a lively conservation with host Jared Bowen, Taylor and Matt spoke about what keeps places like Lynch thriving: encouraging graffiti artistry, keeping the park welcoming, and supporting the many ways people use the space. Listen to the Feb. 19, 2026 episode of The Culture Show podcast (segment begins at 21:57) or watch the live in-studio interview on YouTube (segment begins 3:25:18).

Riverstage at Herter Park Looking for Executive Director

Arts programming opportunity in Allston-Brighton

Herter Park is one of the most expansive and beloved gems in the urban DCR park system, and the CRC invites hundreds of volunteers to Herter every season to keep the park looking its best. The Riverstage at Herter Park (formerly known as the Herter Park Amphitheater) has long been an iconic outdoor arts space along the Charles, so we’re excited to share this unique leadership opportunity to make Herter Park even more awesome!

Friends of Herter Park are actively looking for a new Executive Director to lead the next exciting chapter for Riverstage programming. The role is a full-time position focused on fundraising, partnership building, and strengthening the local arts community. The contract is for six months, with continuation contingent upon fundraising performance. Learn more about the job and how to apply here.

📷: Solomon Foundation

Supporter Spotlight

We’re thrilled to share that the CRC’s Graffiti Artist-in-Residence Program at the Lynch Family Skatepark was selected to receive funding through the 2025/2026 Cambridge Arts Grant Program. This program is supported in part by a grant from Cambridge Arts, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. The mission of the Mass Cultural Council is to promote excellence, inclusion, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences to foster a rich cultural life for all Massachusetts residents and contributes to the vitality of our communities and economy. We’re deeply grateful for this funding, which supports our public art for spatial justice initiatives.

Instagram Action

We’re excited to launch a new social media series: #KnowThisInvasive 🌿First up: Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus). This invasive species is anything but sweet. Found in every state east of Kansas, this pesky plant is a deciduous woody vine with silver to reddish-brown bark. Leaves have an alternate branching pattern, and are often rounded coming to a point with a lightly serrated edge. When left undisturbed, its vines can grow up to 10 cm in diameter and sixty feet long. Click here for more tips on plant identification, removal procedures, and volunteer opportunities for invasive species removal!