Sign Up: 2026 Earth Day Cleanup

Registrations are going fast!

Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2026 Charles River Earth Day Cleanup, taking place on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 10am-12pm. This much-loved event brings together community volunteers each year to rejuvenate the parks, shoreline, playgrounds, and paths surrounding the Charles River, ensuring the areas remain clean, safe, and beautiful for everyone to enjoy. The Conservancy is thrilled to unite volunteers once again for the 27th year! 

This is one of the CRC’s most popular events, and registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Don’t delay and register today! To learn more about corporate and institutional partnerships, click here.

📷: Ceijay Photography

Last Opportunity to Visit Free to Be Gallery Show

Skatepark-inspired artwork is on display through March 6

On a frozen January evening, the Charles River Conservancy, Multicultural Arts Center, and the local community came together in warmth and joy at the gallery’s Free to Be Opening Reception to celebrate art, culture, skating, and self-identity. A diversity of artists, stories, and mediums are featured in the group show curated by Brighton-based photographer Matt Ringler, reflecting what Lynch Family Skatepark represents; a place for everyone, across all cultures and communities. We encourage everyone to view Free to Be in the Multicultural Arts Center Gallery (free entry) from now through March 6, 2026.

P.S. For the public radio fans out there, tune into The Culture Show on GBH next Thursday, February 19, at 2pm to hear us discuss the Free to Be gallery show and all the public art happening at the skatepark—LIVE!

📷: Bobby Shakes

It's Always River Science Season

Especially if you love museums like we do

When you need a break from the freezing cold, a visit to the Museum of Science offers an indoor opportunity to learn more about the Charles River’s ecosystem and the role projects like the Charles River Floating Wetland play in supporting a healthier waterway. The Boston Public Library, among others, provides free museum passes. Check out the hands-on river exhibit at the Yawkey Gallery on the Charles River, where you can also take in fantastic waterfront views. The Museum of Science is also developing a new community space along the river, the Public Science Common, slated for completion in 2026. Stay tuned for more learning and connection along the water when the project is completed.

Speak Up for Clean Rivers, Safe Greenways

Advocacy updates on two major projects

A Cleaner Charles: MWRA Must Aim Higher

Despite updating its recommendations from “Limited CSOs” to “Zero CSOs” in the “2050 Typical Year”, the MWRA’s current proposal still allows sewage to overflow into the Charles River during heavy storms. Residents and advocates statewide believe the MWRA should adopt the strongest control target: Zero CSO discharges in a 2050 25-year, 24-hour design storm. This choice comes with an extra household cost of around $34 a year in 2026 dollars (see cost-projections graph, taken directly from public MWRA materials). However, even a modest increase in ratepayer costs is meaningful, especially when weighed against the far greater benefits to public health, ecosystems, and the river’s future. Furthermore, choosing cheaper options in the short-term will incur much more long-term indirect costs for ratepayers through negative health impacts and other compounding environmental consequences.

You can make a difference! Register for the Feb. 25 MWRA Board Meeting and email MWRA Board Liaison Kristin.MacDougall@mwra.com to tell the Board that sewage doesn’t belong in our rivers. Ask them to vote NO on the “2050 Typical Year” plan and support the “2050 25-year” option instead.

Reimagining the Reid Overpass

The CRC submitted public comments to MassDOT urging a bold rethinking of the Reid Overpass on Memorial Drive. We request a design that prioritizes safety for pedestrians and cyclists, reduces pavement, and creates a more resilient greenway. Please write to MassDOT to encourage design alternatives that reflect our shared values of safety, climate action, and reconnecting people to the river.

Tree Care Along Memorial Drive

DCR to release arborist report

During last week’s public meeting, DCR shared that tree protection and enhancement have been a central focus throughout the Memorial Drive Greenway Improvements, Phase III project. This includes fencing and cladding around all London plane and native trees, design changes to relocate electrical conduit and handholes into the roadway to avoid roots, and the use of structural soil and porous pavement to minimize disturbance and support long-term tree health. An arborist report covering pruning, feeding, and protection guidance will soon be made public. Although six compromised trees must be removed for safety and ecological reasons, DCR will plant 85 new trees, plus extensive native shrubs and perennials, in line with the agency’s Charles River and Cambridge urban forest plans. View meeting recording (tree update starts at 9:33) for details.

CRC Team News

Meet Drew, our newest Project & Event Assistant

Drew McKenna (he/him) is a second-year student at Northeastern University studying Environmental Studies and International Affairs. With a passion for sustainability, community involvement, and people-centered leadership, Drew could not be more excited to be part of the CRC team! Originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Drew enjoys spending his time in nature hiking along the Appalachian mountains and enjoying the many beautiful East Coast beaches. While in Boston, you can catch him on the Charles River Esplanade or the Emerald Necklace walking with friends or on a run. He also enjoys the live music scene in Boston/Cambridge and is always up for a concert or performance.

Supporter Spotlight

We’re grateful to the CambridgeSide Half Marathon + 5K for selecting the Charles River Conservancy as a 2025 benefiting partner and for their generous donation, made possible by the incredible community of 12,000+ runners, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters who came together. Their collective efforts helped raise $609,000 dollars for 66 local nonprofits, and we are honored to be among the recipients. Thank you!

Instagram Action

Sneak peek time! We’re giving our newsletter readers an exclusive first look at tomorrow’s Instagram post: a charming collection of CRC Valentine designs made for the river, park, and nature lovers in your life. Got heart eyes for the Charles River? Follow us on Instagram and be the first to know what’s new! 

📷: Michael L. Hayes