A Warm Thank You to All of our Dedicated Volunteers!

On Saturday April 21st, 2012, approximately 4,000 volunteers and community leaders joined forces to clean the banks of the 80-mile Charles River at the 13th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup. In a collaboration led by Charles River Watershed Association, volunteers from the Charles River watershed and beyond worked together to remove litter and beautify the Charles River and its surrounding parklands in one of the nation’s largest one-day river cleanup events! Volunteers removed an estimated 15-20 tons of trash from sites throughout the watershed from Milford to Boston.

T-shirt designed by Nathan Olson. Visit his website.

At the lunchtime Hatch Shell event following the Cleanup activities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Bill Walsh-Rogalski announced the agency’s 2011 report card score of B for the Charles River. Listen here. DCR Commissioner Edward A. Lambert was also on hand to thank volunteers for their efforts in cleaning up state park lands.

After the Cleanup, volunteers gathered to celebrate, share refreshments, and enjoy entertainment at picnics across the watershed, including the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade in Boston, the Blue Herron Trail Way in Waltham, and Whole Foods in Bellingham. The picnics finished off a productive and rewarding day of community service beautifying one of Boston’s and Eastern Massachusetts’ premier attractions. All volunteers received a T-shirt designed by Massachusetts College of Art student Nathan Olson.

Read the full press release.

The 13th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup is a part of the American Rivers National River Cleanup.

Connecticut College alumni Priscilla Geigis, Alexis Werner, Cindy Sorensen, and Colin Fleming spoke to CRWA about why participating in the cleanup is important to them. Watch the video below.  

Charles River Cleanup In the News

4/26	Earth Day 2012: Groups clean up spots around Dedham
4/25	PHOTOS: Watertown Scouts Pitch in During the Charles River Cleanup
4/23	Annual Charles River Report Card Shows Water Quality Remaining Good and Improving
4/22	42 years after first Earth Day, environmental issues morph
4/22	4,000 Volunteers Helped Clean Up the Charles River Saturday
4/22	Thousands make the Charles shine

Cleanup Organizers & Partners

			Will Brownsberger State Senate

2012 Cleanup Sponsors

Cleanup Major Sponsors:

 

Cleanup Supporters:

 

Cleanup Friends:

Boston Marriott Newton
Charles River Bank
Patagonia Boston

Cambridge Biomedical, Inc.

Boston Sand and Gravel

A. Russo & Sons

White Corporation

Charlesgate Yacht Club, Inc.
Garbo Grabber
Swartz True Value
Shaw's, Auburndale

 

 

2012 Participants

2011 Cleanup

Click here to learn more about last year's Cleanup. View a list of volunteer groups and sponsors, and find out how much garbage we collected!