East Watertown Neighbors, including Atrium School, with their trash pile Photo by Tara Keppler

10th Annual Earth Day
Charles River Cleanup

Saturday, April 25, 2009
9am - 12pm

At sites all along the Charles River and its tributaries

Sponsors | Background Info
Volunteer Groups
2008 Cleanup

Thank you volunteers!

Approximately 3,000 volunteers joined together to pick up trash along the river and throughout the watershed on April 25, collecting an estimated 15-20 tons of trash! Thanks to all our volunteers, sponsors, and partners who made this event a success.

Click here to view a PDF thank you flier for volunteers, with statistics from the Cleanup.

Click here to view a list of the more than 140 volunteer groups who helped to clean up, along with hundreds of individuals.

View photos from many Cleanup groups of their work and the trash they picked up! NEW

A big thank you to MassArt student Kerry Donahue, who designed this year's Cleanup t-shirt.

The Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup is organized by a collaborative of groups interested in environmental and river issues: Charles River Watershed Association,  Senator Steven Tolman's Office, Charles River Conservancy, The Esplanade Association, the City of Newton The Trustees of Reservations, Emerald Necklace Conservancy, and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Our major sponsors include New Balance Foundation and The Cadmus Group.

Cleanup Sponsors

Many thanks to our 2009 Cleanup sponsors:

Would you, your business or organization like to sponsor next year's Cleanup? We appreciate both monetary and in-kind donations of Cleanup supplies (such as trash bags and gloves). All sponsors will be listed on our website, and mentioned in our press release; some sponsorship levels include a logo on our event t-shirt. Download a complete list of sponsorship options and benefits (PDF). Click here to view the 2008 Cleanup sponsors. Please contact Rebecca Scibek Wickham for more information or to donate. Click here for contact information.

Cleanup organizers & partners

The 10th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup is a part MA DCR's Park Serves Day, Global Youth Service Day and the American Rivers National River Cleanup.

If you would like more information about the Charles River Cleanup, or to be put on the volunteer list for next year, please contact Rebecca Scibek Wickham. Click here for contact information.

Senator John Kerry speaks with volunteers at the 2007 Cleanup. Photo by Lucas Wickham

Background information

Background information on the Cleanup from the the Spring 2007 issue of CRWA's Streamer newsletter:

".. the Charles River Watershed Association, Massachusetts Community Water Watch (a project of MassPIRG, Americorps, and MA Service Alliance), and the Charles River Stream Team planned the 2000 cleanup to mark the new millennium on Earth Day and showcase river health improvements by engaging watershed residents in one single-day cleanup effort... . The high volunteer turnout revealed a public desire to participate in community service on behalf of the Charles, and the annual event was born." Read the complete article (PDF).

Volunteer Groups

2008 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!