Sign Up: Family-Friendly Cleanup Fun

What's cooler than the weather? Our volunteers!

You’re invited: COASTSWEEP Cleanup

When: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 10am-12pm

Where: Richard McKinnon Park (Cambridge) and “Little Greenough Boulevard” (Watertown between Arsenal St. and North Beacon St.)

What: Bring your family and friends to participate in a community cleanup! All ages welcome.

Please email Sasha for more information and to RSVP (spots are limited): svallieres@thecharles.org.

Want more family-friendly opportunities? Stay tuned for more info about our upcoming October cleanup (costumes encouraged!).

Thank you to the 196 individuals who volunteered with the CRC in August! It was a beautiful month and lots of great work was done in the parks. Many hands make light work!

• Cabot Properties team members from all over the world worked at Magazine Beach where they removed 48 pounds of litter and painted benches and picnic tables.
• Young People's Project youth removed 52 pounds of litter from Herter Park and the banks of the Charles River. 
• Biodiversity Builders youth worked at Magazine Beach where they managed invasive plants.
• Community volunteers helped to manage invasive plants in the Hell’s Half Acre area.
• L.E.K Consulting staff (pictured) removed 68 pounds of litter and managed vegetation in the North Point Park area.
• Hayden Consulting team members removed invasive plants and 49 pounds of litter at Magazine Beach.

Don’t forget to check back on our website for newly added volunteer opportunities!

Join Us: Waterfront for All Summit

Free food, free sunset harbor cruise, AND free fascinating Boston waterfront insights!

The Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront and Boston Harbor Now will host a one-day Waterfront for All Summit on Thursday, September 22, at Boston Children’s Museum. The summit is free to attend, and breakfast and lunch are included. Connect with a cross-section of groups, partners, and stakeholders who share a common goal: creating greater access to the waterfront for all. Come hear from CRC’s Impact Director, Scott McCue, on the River Group Data Session alongside co-panelists Karina Ramos (Mystic River Watershed Association) and Karen Groce-Horan (Neponset River Watershed Association), moderated by John Dello Russo (Barr Foundation). Registration for the summit is free and required in advance. As the cherry on top, a free sunset Boston Harbor cruise is included for all summit registrants to cap off the day in style!

Newsflash: Sewage Doesn't Belong in Our Rivers

Public comment period on CSO Plan is extended through October 30

We’re feeling energized after this week’s Rally for Sewage-Free Rivers alongside our friends at Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, Conservation Law Foundation, Charles River Watershed Association, Mystic River Watershed Association, and Save the Alewife Brook. We invite you to ask MWRA to finish the job and invest in the strongest possible CSO control plan, because raw sewage does NOT belong in our rivers and a clean Charles is at stake! The public comment deadline for the Draft Plan has been extended to October 30, 2026, with public hearings on September 17, September 24, and October 28.

Boston's Massive Coastal Flood Prevention Plan

Weigh in on what matters most

Want to give feedback on high-stakes infrastructure projects in Boston? If you're reading this: Yes, you do! The City of Boston is partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a massive coastal flood protection plan to protect our neighborhoods from sea level rise. Now, after a decade of planning and community engagement, a draft report of the Boston Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study is officially open for public comment. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and your voice is crucial. Please help us share the word! 

Comment deadline: September 18, 2026, at 5:00 PM.

Floating Wetlands: So Hot Right Now

Global ideas at Living Water Cities Conference

London calling! CRC’s Executive Director Laura Jasinski and Park Resilience Project Manager Pablo Brenes Coto will attend the Living Water Cities Conference 2026, set along the striking backdrop of the London Museum Docklands. Kicking off on September 23, this two-day international gathering of practitioners, innovators, businesses, designers, and thought leaders is focused on restoring nature to the full urban water cycle. We’re proud that Boston’s Charles River is represented within this global community, and we look forward to returning energized with fresh inspiration for our own floating wetland pilot expansion!

📷: Artemisia Luk

Let's Celebrate the Fall Equinox

RiverSing returns with puppets and song

Did you know that on the Fall Equinox—the official first day of autumn—Day and Night are in perfect balance? Revels RiverSing returns on Saturday, September 26, 2026 to celebrate this annual event. Attendees are invited to bring blankets and lawn chairs to the Charles riverbank on the Cambridge side of the Weeks Footbridge, or gather at Winthrop Park in Harvard Square. This free event features performances by Songleader David Coffin, the Puppeteers Cooperative, and the Revels RiverSing Chorus. All are invited to join in this family-friendly program!

📷: Revels

Supporter Spotlight

A heartfelt thank you to Suffolk Construction for their generous support of the Charles River Conservancy through their commitment to volunteering and community service. From caring for our river to improving our parks, Suffolk's contributions create a meaningful, lasting impact. Thank you for being a valued partner and working together with us in environmental stewardship!

Instagram Action

Charles River Public Health Advisory: Based on the high cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) levels measured at four Lower Basin sampling locations (MIT Boathouse, Broad Canal, Lechmere Canal, and Community Boating), the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is recommending a Charles River public health advisory to include all points downstream of the Boston University Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences Building, also known as the “Jenga Tower.” In terms of the street grid, the advisory extends to Granby Street (Boston side) and Audrey Street (Cambridge side). Signage is posted at all public access points warning against any contact with the water. Learn more about the advisory.