ANNUAL EARTH DAY CLEANUP
Help clean our beloved Charles River!
Keepin' it Clean
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Keepin' it Clean 〰️
Volunteer at the Annual Charles River Earth Day Cleanup!
For more than 25 years, volunteers across the Charles River watershed have gathered for one of the country's most extensive Earth Day cleanups.
WHAT IS THE EARTH DAY CLEANUP?
Working with our partners at the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Charles River Conservancy, Waltham Land Trust, and Esplanade Association, we collect trash from the Charles River and surrounding area with thousands of incredible volunteers. The Earth Day Charles River Cleanup builds on a national effort as part of American Rivers’ National River Cleanup®, which has removed over 25 million pounds of trash from America’s waterways. Our cleanup brings together over 3,000 volunteers each year to pick up litter, remove invasive species, and assist with park maintenance along all 80 miles of the Charles River.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2026 Earth Day Cleanup!
GROUP & INDIVIDUAL REGISTRATIONS
Individuals, families, and small community groups will volunteer on Saturday, April 25th, 2026. We recommend registering early to secure your spot. Please let us know of any members of your group that you will be participating with to be assigned to the same site.
CORPORATE SPONSOR REGISTRATIONS
Corporate and large groups will volunteer on Friday, April 24th, 2026. All Friday groups participate as sponsors of the event. If you are interested in having your team participate in the cleanup, please reach out to CRWA’s Development team at development@crwa.orgwith “Cleanup Volunteer Group Inquiry” in the subject line
Questions? Contact Ryan Smith, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, at rsmith@crwa.org.
Last year, CRWA hosted cleanups in 15 different towns and cities: Dedham, Dover, Franklin, Holliston, Jamaica Plain, Medfield, Milford, Millis, Natick, Needham, Newton, Norfolk, Wellesley, West Roxbury, and Weston.
These amazing volunteers filled 441 trash bags, or about 9,000 lbs worth of litter. That's 4.5 tons of trash collected from the Charles and surrounding areas!
Other ways to get involved
Be a Volunteer Photographer
Help document the Earth Day Cleanup! Reach out to Communications Manager Carly Sherman with your availability and location preference.
Make a Donation
Support a clean, resilient Charles River Watershed year-round!
Media Inquiries
Looking to cover one of the country's most extensive Earth Day cleanups? Contact Communications Manager, Carly Sherman, to be connected with a member of our team.
FAQs
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Thank you for your interest in the 27th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup! The event is scheduled for April 24th & 25th, 2026. Start and end times will vary depending on site location, so make sure you register beforehand and indicate your location preferences.
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As we approach the event date, you will receive an email from the coordinator hosting your cleanup site. The email will include your exact meeting location, what time to meet, and project details, like what tasks you'll be doing and what to bring. If you do not receive an email by mid March, or if you have any questions specific to your project, contact Volunteer & Outreach Associate Ryan Smith, rsmith@crwa.org .
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At this time, no rain sates have been selected. In case of incelement weather, potential rain dates will vary depending on group and location. Feel free to reach out to Volunteer & Outreach Association Ryan Smith, rsmith@crwa.org, if you have concerns about weather as we get closer to the event.
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While there is no cutoff date for registration, registration will close as sites fill up, so we recommend registering as soon as possible!
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While the event is free for all community members, we ask that individuals and non-profit participants consider supporting the event with an optional donation. Donations are fully tax-deductible and support the Charles River Cleanup and the missions of our partner organizations, making events like this possible! A donation is required for most groups to participate and all proceeds will directly support the non-profit host, in this case CRWA! Please check out our registration page for more information.
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CRWA will be providing trash bags, gloves, and pickup sticks. Everyone should plan on bringing their own water/refreshment. Additionally, volunteers are more than welcome to bring their own gloves and trash grabbers if they wish. Prior to the event, your site coordinator will reach out with specific details on where to meet, what to bring, and more.
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We ask that everyone who will be attending the cleanup registers ahead of time. Although there are no guarantees, we do our best to accommodate site requests.
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We have scheduled trash pickup with various entities for Saturday afternoon, so to ensure all trash is collected, we cannot accommodate pickup for trash collected after 12 pm.
That being said, every day is Earth Day, so we encourage you and your family to pick up litter in your local neighborhood whenever possible!
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We assign each group to a site based on group numbers and your indicated location preferences. We always do our best to honor top choices, but unfortunately due to the number of volunteers and capacities for each site, we can not guarantee site placement. While we do our best to accommodate your site preferences, assignments are first come, first served.
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All participants including minors need to fill out the form which contains our volunteer waiver. The name of the minor should be registered and the parent will also need to sign the waiver form.