In May, our stewardship team made major progress on a long-awaited native planting project at Hell’s Half Acre. In partnership with community volunteers, the Cambridge Plant & Garden Club (@thebostoncommittee), and CRC staff, the team prepared and restored multiple planting zones. Including the roadside and wetland areas.

The project included pre-installation work such as vegetation clearing, site preparation, and mesh fencing to help protect new plantings. On planting day, volunteers split into three groups to tackle more than 700 square feet of restoration area across the site. Volunteers dug holes for planting locations before installing 77 native plants across 8 different species! Some of the plants include: solidago rugosa, Polygonatum biflorum, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Diervilla lonicera, and Eurybia divaricata.

From in-house prep work, to day-of volunteer planting crews, to season-long vegetation monitoring by our dedicated volunteer Charles River Environmental Watch (CREW) members, this effort represents another step toward restoring resilient native habitat along the riverfront. If you are interested in volunteering with the CRC, check out the link in bio and sign up today!

📸: Aaron John Bourque

#planting #massparks #nativeplants #charlesriver #restoration #biodiversity

Did you happen to catch some of the tree-mendous tree work on Greenough Boulevard this past week? The CRC partners with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (@massdcr) to steward and improve the parklands of the Charles River Reservation, including by collaborating on targeted tree care. Young “street trees” in Boston and Cambridge frequently struggle with typical urban stressors like soil compaction, drought, pollution, and mechanical damage, with many failing to make it to maturity. As a result, they are unable to provide their full ecological and aesthetic benefits including shade, pollution mitigation, and visual interest.

In 2025, the CRC and DCR identified 25 young trees along Memorial Drive in @cambridgemass showing clear signs of stress-induced poor health. Barrett Tree Service East (@barretttreeserviceeast) was contracted for air-spading to address extreme soil compaction, followed by application of biochar and mulch to improve soil nutrient quality and moisture retention.

Following the success of this project, the CRC and DCR again engaged Barrett in 2026 to complete additional work along Greenough Boulevard, between the Eliot Bridge and Grove Street. This year, 29 young trees between the Dr. Paul Dudley White Bike Path and the roadway were identified as needing air-spading and soil improvements, as well as minor structural pruning to improve canopy structure and long-term stability. A further 28 trees between the bike path and the river were identified for more extensive pruning to eliminate conflicts with utility wires and ensure adequate headroom for path users. We thank Barrett Tree Service East and DCR for being such incredible partners for this critical work.

#treecare #cambridge #environmentalcare #charlesriver

Last week, the CRC hosted our “Global Lessons, Local Waters” Floating Wetlands Panel at the @barrfdn. We were joined by speakers from the Wild Mile (@urbanrivers), the National Aquarium (@nationalaquarium), Biomatrix Water (@biomatrixwatersolutions), and @northeastern alum Max Rome (Green Infrastructure @cityofboston). Together, the panel explored the importance of nature-based environmental solutions and sparked engaging conversations about how environmental stewards can help restore waterways, educate the public, and create healthier habitats for wildlife.

The evening provided an opportunity for attendees interested in building their own floating wetlands to learn directly from organizations leading innovative projects across the country. @savetheharbor Executive Director Chris Mancini spoke about the importance of collaboration between organizations by sharing research, resources, and lessons learned to strengthen collective environmental impact. Following the launch of the Charles River Floating Wetland, organizations like @savetheharbor have been able to begin pilot wetland projects of their own, including a newly installed floating wetland in Fort Point Channel built using Biomatrix floating ecosystem modules and planted just last week.

Charmaine Dahlenburg, Director of Field Conservation at the National Aquarium, shared that It feels so good to have so many people interested in wetlands now, because just a few years ago it felt like it was only her. This unity and collective interest is so important, and we must continue to grow our network and build off of each other`s work to continue to make positive changes in our local waterways!

Thank you to everyone who joined us last Tuesday, asked thoughtful questions, and contributed to such an inspiring conversation on the future of our waterways and urban ecosystems.

#floatingwetland #waterways #charlesriver #baltimoreaquarium #thewildmile #biomatrix

BIG NEWS! We’re beyond excited to introduce our 2026 Graffiti/Street Art Artists-in-Residence at Lynch Family Skatepark: Victoria DelValle (@thirteenvicarchive) and Ananda Toulon (@anandatoulon)! Boston-based visual artists DelValle and Toulon built a strong creative relationship through their shared fellowship at @artists.for.humanity, and the 2026 skatepark residency marks the formal project debut of their work as a duo. Together, DelValle and Toulon bring complementary strengths in visual narrative, spray-paint fluency, and community-centered making—creating work that evolves through presence, dialogue, and participation. You won’t want to miss their visual signatures of saturated color and surreal symbolism emerge and flow on the concrete pillar backdrop of skaters shredding all summer.

Come celebrate with us at Lynch on Saturday, May 30 (12–4pm, all ages, free!) for “Double Take: Skate, Paint, Imaginate”. Meet Victoria and Ananda, catch live painting in action, skate, connect, or simply vibe. Coordinated alongside @childish.rayvino, the skatepark will have live DJs, treats, skate and apparel vendors, and perfect summer vibes! Music sets and vendor details to come!! Stay tuned 🛹‼️

📷: @childish.rayvino

#lynchskatepark #freeactivitiesboston #skate #paint #livemusic

Last week the CRC team took a field trip to Watertown to visit the recently redesigned Arsenal Park (celebrating its first spring season following the park’s grand reopening in summer 2025). Staff from the City of Watertown (@watertownmagov) led our site walk and shared project insights including park upgrades, accessibility, and community feedback. This shiny new version of the park has one of the tallest slides (20 feet high!) in Massachusetts, tennis courts, basketball courts, open fields, pavilions and seating areas, a skatepark (featuring a @crocpaints original piece!), and a community garden.

Arsenal Park sits at an important crossroads within a growing network of greenways, paths, and public spaces that connect communities throughout Watertown, Cambridge, and the Charles River Reservation. Positioned near the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway and the DCR Charles River pathways around the “Little Greenough” area, the park helps link together routes for walking, biking, running, and commuting across the region. This patchwork of connected pathways creates safer, more accessible ways for people to move between neighborhoods while also expanding access to nature and recreation within the city. Projects like these continue to transform formerly disconnected spaces into vibrant public resources that strengthen community connectivity and make Greater Boston a more welcoming and accessible place to live.

#greenways #watertowncambridgegreenway #charlesriver #arsenalpark

This Earth Day, our community showed up in an incredible way. Across 26 cleanup locations along the lower Charles River, more than 700 volunteers came together to care for our shared public spaces, collecting an estimated 550 bags of trash (with an estimated 1,000 pounds of litter/trash) through CRC-organized efforts alone. From riverbanks and playgrounds to greenways and skateparks, your time, energy, and dedication made a visible impact along the Charles River.

Thank you to every volunteer, partner, coordinator, donor, and supporter who spent their Earth Day Week giving back to the environment and helping create cleaner, healthier, and more welcoming parks. Remember that everyday is Earth day: Let’s keep these cleanup efforts going all year round and join the CRC for upcoming volunteer events! Here`s to a clean Charles River and beautiful @massdcr parks.

📸:
@ceijay_photography
@bosbaka.fc Boston Sakura

#earthday2026 #parkcleanup #volunteers #charlesriver