Shorter Days & Superstar Volunteers

Only treats for our park cleanup community 💚

You’re invited to our October Open Volunteer Event 🎃🍂

When: Saturday, October 24, 2026, 10am-12pm

Where: Herter Park (Allston/Brighton)

What: Litter removal and fall cleanup projects!


What could be more New England than a community Autumn park cleanup? All ages welcome. We’ll have treats for volunteers. Costumes encouraged for friends and family alike!


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

Sending out a huge thank you to volunteers who took part in COASTSWEEP! This event is part of an international coastal clean-up movement organized by the Ocean Conservancy. With over 40 volunteers working in the Charles River Basin, we were able to remove 283 lbs of trash! A summary of what we found:

• A total of 3,974 pieces of trash
• Most common item: cigarette butts
• Most common categories: 31% food-related waste and 21% smoking/tobacco products
• 34% increase in waste found in comparison to COASTSWEEP 2025

We also give massive thanks to the over 100 volunteers who helped us in the parks this September:

• Veralto team members removed litter, managed invasive plants, and painted benches in Herter Park.
• Department of Elementary & Secondary Education staff members removed litter and painted benches along Memorial Drive. 
• Accent Therapeutics removed 163 pounds of litter, managed invasives, and painted benches in Cannalonga Park.
• Boston Consulting Group painted railing and benches along Cambridge Parkway.

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

📷: Leia Onofrey (Leia’s Lens Video and Photo)

Snapshots from the Skatepark

An unforgettable night of art and movement

We had a blast at Lynch Family Skatepark for TAGALONG, our 2026 Artists-in-Residence program closing ceremony. Congratulations to Victoria DelValle & Ananda Toulon on their residency success (joining AOA Supply as program alums!) and all the folks who supported, amplified, and celebrated the CRC’s public art initiative. The crowd enjoyed amazing experiences brought to the park by Soundz of Now musicians, Floor Lords breaking crew, and ink artist Mik—as well as so many skaters, artists, and friends who joined us. Special shout out to DCR Director of Partnerships Paul Fahey for bringing the state park realness 🔥

📷: Matt Ringler

Lookback: Learning Lots in London

Floating wetlands, free walls, freshwater swims

The CRC was invited to speak at the Living Water Cities Conference 2026 hosted by Biomatrix Water at London Museum Docklands. CRC’s Executive Director Laura Jasinski and Park Resilience Project Manager Pablo Brenes Coto not only got a chance to highlight our Floating Wetlands initiative on the Charles River, but also got a chance to learn from experts from all over the world, visit similar nature-based projects (like the Eden Project x Canary Wharf London collaboration), explore the glorious free walls at Leake Street Arches, and even swim on the (refreshingly chilly!) River Thames. Thank you to our international friends—we’re honored to learn, explore, and innovate our cities along with you.

Riverbend Park FOMO Starts Now

Last car-free Memorial Drive of the year is Nov 8

You can count on one hand (5!) the number of opportunities left this year to luxuriate in a Memorial Drive closed off to car traffic. Circle those upcoming Sundays and prioritize these last chances to join in the carefree fun along the Charles River. As an annual tradition (and formally codified into state law), a stretch of Memorial Drive in Cambridge is closed to vehicular traffic from 11am to 7pm through the second Sunday of November, creating a large stretch of open space alongside the parklands to accommodate cycling, skating, running, and a range of other activities. Et voila: Riverbend Park! 

📷: Aaron John Bourque

CRC Team Update

Meet Ela, Land Stewardship Coordinator 2026/27

Please join us in welcoming Ela Gronek to the team as Land Stewardship Coordinator! Ela (she/her) joins the Charles River Conservancy as the TerraCorps member for the 2026/27 service year. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire where she studied Environmental Conservation & Sustainability and spent a semester abroad in New Zealand. From this experience, she gained a deep appreciation for environmental stewardship and is passionate about connecting people to nature. Ela has spent the past year teaching earth science, biology, and environmental science to middle school students, and looks forward to working with volunteers on the Charles and continuing to advocate for the needs of our local ecosystem. Outside of work, Ela enjoys bird watching, hiking, and celebrating her Polish heritage.

Supporter Spotlight

The CRC is honored to be a partner of the Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront (CRIW), and we share the bittersweet news that 2026 is the coalition’s last season. CRIW celebrates Boston’s harbor, rivers, and islands through free events centered on public health, climate resilience, community, and joy. This coming weekend (October 10-12) marks the last edition of its Waterfront Wellness Weekend, a series CRC has been proud to support year after year. Join us in thanking CRIW as they celebrate the collective legacy they’ve built, the partnerships that have made it possible, and the many fellow organizations that will continue advancing a more resilient, inclusive, and accessible waterfront for years to come.

Instagram Action

We’re shining the #skatescenespotlight on @northeasternskateclub, a recognized & funded (!) university skate club. They provide a hyper-inclusive welcoming space to skaters of all experience levels and meet up Tuesdays 6pm on Carter Access Road near campus. Their DIY skate spot, with obstacles and features that cater to different skill levels, gives members a dedicated place to skate, learn, build community, and express themselves throughout the year. Read more.