The River Current || February 6, 2007 || Issue XXXXII 

The twice monthly e-newsletter of the Charles River Watershed Association
...bringing our backyard river to your door...

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In this issue:
1)       Brown Bag Dinner Tuesday, February 13^th
2)       Springtime events

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Spring is always a busy season for the Charles River Watershed Association. Below you will find a comprehensive list of events occurring in the coming months, ranging from a class about the Charles to hosted parties to our 25^th Annual Run of the Charles Canoe and Kayak race. For more information about our events and current projects, visit our constantly-updated website at www.charlesriver.org. We hope you can join us at some of these activities, and if not, we’ll see you on the river this spring!
- Rebecca Scibek, River Current Editor

 1) Brown Bag Dinner on water friendly urban design
Instead of our monthly brown bag lunch, we are hosting a dinner next Tuesday, February 13^th, from 6:30-8:45 pm at  CRWA Headquarters, 190 Park Road, Weston. The topic will be  “Transforming Urban Design with Water Friendly Solutions.”  Learn details of CRWA’s ‘David and Goliath’ battle to protect the Charles River as Harvard designs its Allston campus presented by  Kate Bowditch, CRWA’s Director of Projects.   

2) Calendar of CRWA Spring Events
For additional information and a constantly-updated list of upcoming CRWA events, please visit our website at www.crwa.org/events/events.html.

Sunday, March 18^th, 2:00 pm, 75 Elm Street, Medfield
Bob Zimmerman will address upper Charles issues during a gathering at Caroline and Mike Standley’s house.

Saturday, March 24^th, 8:00 pm, First Parish of Watertown
Concert to benefit CRWA with a performance by Jaded Mandolin Blue Grass Band. Tickets are $15 for adults, $32 for families with proceeds to support CRWA. 

Tuesday, April 17^th, 7:00-9:30 pm, Beacon Hill
Sharon and Brad Malt host a stimulating discussion led by Bob Zimmerman and CRWA staff on issues facing the lower Charles at their lovely Beacon Hill home. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Peggy Sunshine at 781-788-0007 x235.

Wednesdays April 18^th – May 16^th, 2:00 – 4:00 pm (5 sessions)
Sign up for Bob Zimmerman’s course on the Charles River at Beacon Hill Seminars, 617-523-0970. CRWA board members and leadership donors are eligible for waiver of BHS $300 membership requirement.

 Saturday, April 21^st, 9:00am-1pm
8^th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup will involve more than 1,200 volunteers cleaning up the banks of the river at over 90 sites all along the Charles. The Cleanup is organized by CRWA and a collaborative of other organizations. For more information or to volunteer, visit our website at www.charlesriver.org/cleanup.html, or call 781-788-0007 x303.

Sunday, April 29^th, 9:00am - 4:30 pm, Herter Park, Soldiers Field Road, Brighton,
CRWA 25^th Annual Run of the Charles Canoe and Kayak Race will see over 1800 participants paddle along the Charles, enjoying the beauty and improved quality of the river! CRWA will highlight our work including preservation of anadromous and river fish through the release of 1.5 million juvenile American Shad into the Charles.  The festivities at the all-day Finish Line Festival in Herter Park will include fly fishing workshops, hourly Eco Boat Trips, a watershed-in-a-box, a wildlife habitat area and an irrigation demonstration area on water saving devices. This event is being promoted in conjunction with ‘Cambridge Science Festival’; our partners include MIT, Harvard, WGBH, Cambridge Public Schools and Boston Science Museum. If you’d like to sign up to race in the Run of the Charles or to volunteer, please call 508-698-6810 or click here for contact information.  

Sunday, May 6^th Garden Party at Luisa Hunnewell’s Estate in Wellesley