Volunteer Programs

Each year, the CRC works with approximately 2,000 volunteers to perform vital park maintenance work and ensure permanent improvements in the parks. Volunteer events are a great way to get outside, learn more about the river, have fun working with friends, coworkers, and neighbors, and help restore the centerpiece of Greater Boston’s urban park system.

Since 2002, more than 37,000 CRC volunteers have contributed over $2.4 million of donated labor to improve the health, safety, and beauty of the Charles River parks. We are grateful to our 2025 Corporate & Foundation Supporters who have enabled this continued work.

OPEN VOLUNTEER EVENTS

Our open volunteer events welcome individuals and community members to spend a few hours working on projects and cleaning up the parks along the Charles River.

June Open Volunteer Event
When: Saturday, June 13, 2026, 10am-12pm
Please email Sasha for more information and to RSVP (spots are limited): svallieres@thecharles.org.

Sign up for our e-newsletter to get updates on upcoming cleanups.

SCHEDULE A VOLUNTEER DAY

We hope you will join us for a safe and fun way to get outside and give back to the parks that have given us so much! See an overview on our 2026 flyer, view our 2026 availability, and reserve your day with us!

Volunteer Projects:
We work with volunteers in the parks from Cambridge to Watertown Square. Location and projects vary based on maintenance needs, time of year, and size of group.

• Invasive plant removal
• Bench, fencing, and picnic table painting
• Planting and maintaining garden beds
• Mulching
• Raking leaves
• Removing litter and debris

Event Sponsorships:
Sponsoring an event pays for supplies, plants, staff time, and helps keep the parklands active, attractive, and accessible for all in the community. We ask our corporate and institutional volunteer groups to support our volunteer programs with a tax-deductible donation to the Charles River Conservancy. View our flyer for our 2026 donation rates. Please reach out to Sasha (svallieres@thecharles.org) if you are a community group.

Reserve Your Day:
Volunteer days typically take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. You may also contact Sasha at svallieres@thecharles.org to request additional dates and times that work best for your company or group.

To schedule a community service work day for your group or business, contact CRC Volunteer Program Manager Sasha Vallieres at svallieres@thecharles.org. Events book quickly, especially in the spring and fall, so please reach out at least one month before you would like to schedule an event.

Stay tuned for updates on our 2027 Earth Day Cleanup!

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ANNUAL IMPACT SNAPSHOT

Thank you to all volunteers for caring for the river and parks with us!

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CHARLES RIVER ENVIRONMENTAL WATCH

Interested in volunteering in the parks as an individual on your own schedule? The Charles River Conservancy regularly recruits volunteers for our Charles River Environmental Watch (CREW) Stewards and Vegetation Monitoring Programs. CREW Stewards are assigned a park section where they report on pathway conditions and remove litter and invasive plants; CREW Vegetation Monitors collect data and track progress on our restoration efforts in Hell’s Half Acre.

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“One of the reasons I chose to volunteer with CRC is because of how organized the whole process was. As an event organizer, this helped to make my experience so much better! I will be recommending CRC to my network.” – 2025 Volunteer

“Passionate, knowledgeable, welcoming, courteous and appreciative group of people who were very organized and motivating which got our volunteer group engaged quickly into our various opportunities.” – 2025 Volunteer

“The coordination was very easy leading up to the volunteer activity and the team was even flexible in changing the date when we had a conflict. Everything was smooth and worked out well.” – 2025 Volunteer

SUPPORTERS

Thank you to the following organizations who have provided important financial support for our stewardship program in 2026. We are also grateful to work alongside many of their employees who provide additional support by volunteering in the parks. Supporters are recognized as their gifts are received.