26th Annual Earth Day Cleanup Along the Charles River on 4/26

BOSTON, MA - From Holliston to Boston, over 2,000 registered volunteers will work across 80+
sites spanning the Charles River in the 26th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup on Friday,
April 25th, and Saturday, April 26th, 2025. The event empowers participants to give back to
their communities, strengthen their connection with nature, and cultivate lifelong habits of
environmental care by fostering a sense of stewardship for their rivers and parklands. Since its inception in 1999, the Charles River Cleanup has mobilized thousands of volunteers
annually to remove litter and invasive plants and assist with park maintenance along the Charles

River’s 80-mile stretch and within the 1,100 acres of Emerald Necklace parkland surrounding
the Muddy River, a vital tributary of the Charles.

“The Waltham Land Trust is thrilled to welcome folks of all ages to the banks of the Charles to
remove litter and invasive plant species,” says Sonja Wadman, Executive Director of the
Waltham Land Trust. “We might even find time to teach participants about the role Waltham
played in the start of the American Industrial Revolution, a favorite topic of mine!”

"The Charles River Earth Day Cleanup is an incredible community-wide event that rejuvenates
the parks, playgrounds, and paths surrounding the Charles River," says Laura Jasinski, Executive
Director of the Charles River Conservancy (CRC), a nonprofit dedicated to the protection and
improvement of the urban Charles River and its parks. "CRC is one of the many organizations
honored to work alongside thousands of volunteers each year, ensuring our public green spaces
are clean, safe, and beautiful for everyone to enjoy."

"As the final bank before the Charles River Dam that receives upriver trash from many miles and
tributaries, the Esplanade depends each year on the Charles River Cleanup to remove that
waste before it slips to the Harbor," says Jen Mergel, Executive Director of the Esplanade
Association (EA). "The EA team is so grateful to partner for decades with our sister nonprofits,
our friends at DCR, and so many amazing volunteers across generations and geographies to
ensure the health of the Charles (Quinobequin) for decades to come."

“The Muddy River, the central waterway of the Emerald Necklace parks and a major tributary to
the Charles, has had an eventful year,” says Karen Mauney-Brodek, President of the Emerald
Necklace Conservancy. “From the removal of the last fenced-off work areas of the Muddy River
Restoration Project to our ongoing community visioning process for its health and future in
partnership with the Charles River Watershed Association, and to ecological threats that remind
us just how important these waterways are: now more than ever, it is crucial that we come
together this spring and do our part to care for our shared urban ecosystems!”

“We are so grateful to the thousands of volunteers who turn out to remove trash from the
banks and parks and roadways near the Charles," said Emily Norton, Executive Director of
Charles River Watershed Association. “We look forward to the day when this cleanup isn't
necessary, but until then, this amazing turnout demonstrates how much people care about a
clean, healthy Charles River.”

The Charles River Cleanup is coordinated by the Charles River Conservancy, the Charles River
Watershed Association, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, the Esplanade Association, and the
Waltham Land Trust, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and
Recreation and Senator Will Brownsberger.