14th Annual Charles River Earth Day Cleanup

Earth Day began in 1970, when then-Senator Gaylord Nelson (from Wisconsin) saw first-hand effects of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.  The spirit and energy of anti-war activism spilled over to the environmental movement, drawing 20 million individuals to rally for environmental action on April 22nd, 1970.  Earth Day is about uniting to create a world where we can live and thrive, work and play.

As the Charles River Conservancy (CRC) Volunteer Coordinator, the annual Earth Day cleanup is one of my favorite events during the year.  Don’t get me wrong, I love ALL of my volunteer events; this one is just special.  As a college student, I always signed up for garbage cleanup events, and we would pick up litter surrounding Coes Pond in Worcester.  I was interested in the debris left behind by people, some purposefully and some accidentally. I’ve found things like a McDonald’s drive-through sign, vinyl siding from a house, action figures, a brand-new bicycle, and even a message in a bottle.  It was discouraging to find so much garbage, but also highly rewarding to leave Coes Pond so much safer and more scenic than when we started.

Signage next to stormwater drains along the Charles River.
Everything that runs off goes directly into the River.

Although my excitement for the Earth Day cleanup probably started back in college (finding all sorts of things being thrown into the local pond), my level of enthusiasm is maintained.  This year, on April 20^th, literally thousands of people will be participating in this Charles River-wide trash pickup.  Last year, an estimated 50 tons of trash were collected, making the Charles River cleaner, healthier, and more beautiful!.  We’re lucky to be able to coordinate with some other great nonprofits and groups: the Charles River Watershed Association, who spearheads the cleanup; The Esplanade Association, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Green Decade Newton, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Senator Brownsberger’s Office, and the Waltham Land Trust.

The Conservancy has over 600 people volunteering with us on April 20^th for the 14^th annual Charles River Cleanup.  There are over 25 different companies, non-profits, and school groups represented!  Although our sign-up for groups filled up long ago, our drop-in site remained open to individuals and families so come down to the Charles on the 20^th.  Earth Day with the CRC is about beautifying the parklands, giving back to Mother Earth, and hopefully making some new cleanup memories.

About the Author: Danielle Stehlik is the CRC Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator.  She oversees some 2,000 volunteers annually.  Those volunteers have donated over 68,000 volunteer hours and $1.4 million labor since 2002. 

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

The story began with a tortoise and a hare- the beginning of a 10 yearlong race.

It was a race I entered not too long ago as I walked by Copley Square one sunny Sunday afternoon. I was wandering around the Plaza by myself, camera in hand. I believe I was in search of something when I decided to look up. I was taken aback by the breathtaking Trinity Church and its neighbor, the Hancock Tower, a glassy titan. It was impressive how well both structures complemented each other. An old Church, exemplary of romanesque architecture, next to a modernist skyscraper. Two treasured gems in Boston, next to each other, for all to see…

…I had forgotten why I was there until I looked down and saw the two seemingly small, bronze sculptures staring back at me.

Right then and there I recalled the rather unusual assignment I was given here at the Conservancy: I was asked to go to Copley Square and take several pictures of The Tortoise and the Hare.

What relation could these sculptures possibly have to the Charles River Conservancy? At the time, I had no clue. It wasn’t until later that I realized the answer was quite simple. Nancy Schön.

As some of you may know, Schön created The Tortoise and the Hare sculptures in honor of the Boston Marathon. Since their installation in 1995, the sculptures have attracted people of all ages, tourists, locals, but most importantly skaters.

Yes, skaters.

When Schön received a telephone call informing her of skaters jumping over her sculptures, she stepped into the scene in order to interrogate them. What started as an angered confrontation turned into sympathy as Schön learned of a sport left in the dark.

The Tortoise and the Hare in Copley Square
Photo Credit: Robin Stevens

The skaters had nowhere else to go. They found the plaza in Copley Square to be ideal for skateboarding, and Schön’s sculptures great for perfecting the so-called “ollies.” The skaters understood that not everyone wanted them there, but the plaza was the best place around where they could skateboard.

Schön, an athlete herself, was appalled at the thought of other athletes not having an adequate and welcoming place to practice their sport. Inspired by this turn of events, Schön set out on a mission to provide Boston skaters with a skate park. When Schön met Renata, who also felt Boston was in need of a skate park, the two of them started to work together. Efforts ignited, and the race to bring the skate park to life officially commenced.

After more than a decade of designing, fundraising, permitting, and negotiations, their slow but steady pace has not yet reached the end of the race. But fear not, with a construction date set for Spring 2013, the finish line is finally in sight.

What about my picture-taking task in Copley Square, you ask? Well this is the part where I enter the race. In honor of Nancy Schön’s involvement, which was so crucial for the skate park project, a 2-dimensional image of The Tortoise and the Hare will be integrated into the Skate Park entrance. In the coming years, when the skate park has opened, skaters will look at the tortoise and the hare and think back to where it all started. Instead of being chased away from the sculptures, skaters will be greeted by these fabled creatures… and will legally be able to skate over them.

When they find themselves skating in bowls, over rails, through ramps- all meant for skateboarding, they will see how far Boston skating has come. Instead of being in the middle of Copley Square right by Trinity Church and the Hancock Tower, they will be right by the Charles River in North Point Park. Complete with pathways, pedestrian bridges, and beautiful sights, it’s an outdoor paradise for any sport enthusiast living in the city. North Point Park is an urban park meant for all forms of recreation, even skateboarding.

Hello Everyone! My name is Patricia Fontanet and I'm a sophomore student at Northeastern University, pursuing a major in Environmental Science and a minor in Journalism. I have only been to a skate park once in my life. It was for my brother’s birthday when I was 11 years old. All I remember is constantly falling down and getting rescued from the skating bowl because I couldn’t get out myself. Yup, I was a pretty wimpy 11 year-old, don’t judge.  

This time around, however, I’m taking a much different approach at skateboarding. I have been a co-op intern here at the Conservancy since January and have been involved in the Skate Park project since day 1. From detailed, technical note taking at biweekly meetings to preparing visuals for various presentations, I’ve seen how much this project has evolved in the last 3 months. I have grown very fond of the project and feel honored that I get to be at least a small part of it. I cannot wait to see the final result, I’m certain it’ll be spectacular.

The 5 People You See Running Along the Charles River

       Being a suburban girl transplanted into Cambridge for college, I’ve spent a good deal of time adjusting to the bustling pace of city living and observing the eclectic population that provides the character to such a vibrant area. One thing that has become apparent to me is that a large portion of Cantabrigians and Bostonians alike value physical fitness. Biking is a popular choice for the commute to work, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a location more than a mile away from the nearest fitness center. That being said, for those people out there who cannot stand the 5 o’clock rush at the gym, or simply prefer not to use machines at all, there is always another exercise venue available: the Charles River. If water sports do not happen to be your cup-of-tea, there is no better way to explore the expansive beauty of our beloved river than on foot. All it took for me was a couple of jogs along the water to become hooked and keep going back for more.
       One great thing about exercising along the Charles is that even if I don’t bring a buddy, I’m still never alone. Running a ‘bridge-loop’—as the locals call a route across one bridge, down the river, across a second bridge, and back—is undoubtedly one of the more popular outdoor exercise opportunities in Cambridge. Therefore, no matter how short or far I decide to run, I always encounter fellow go-getters. During my three years of experience jogging on the river, there has been enough time spent trying to focus on anything besides my mounting exhaustion that I have identified what I believe are the five distinct types of people you will see running along the Charles River. A person can easily fall into none, one, or even multiple of these categories, but if you keep them in mind during your next river-excursion, I bet you will start to see these defining characteristics again and again.

1.    The Marathoner – This person is the one who runs according to the three Fs: Fast, Far, and Frequent. To fit in this group, a person does not necessarily have to have run a marathon, but it is not unlikely that he or she has done so or is planning to do so in the foreseeable future. As a non-marathoner, I see these people approaching and sometimes don’t realize they are running at roughly the equivalent of my top speed because they do so with such ease. Sometimes, they pass me and I have to stop myself from inspecting their running shoes for tiny jet propulsion mechanisms. Running along the Charles River is perfect for the Marathoner because when someone is running upwards of 15 miles, he cannot be bothered to stop every few blocks to accommodate city traffic. Pedestrian pathways along miles of the virtually flat river are an essential training ground for those aiming for both distance and speed.

Two Recreationalists enjoying an afternoon jog

2.    The Recreationalist – This person exercises regularly, and runs along the river with a frequency somewhere between occasionally and daily, depending on the weather or how full spin class has been recently. The recreationalist feels comfortable running somewhere between three and seven miles. Distance beyond that might call for extra day of recuperation, or at least an extra celebratory brownie with dessert. For the record, this is the category in which I like to group myself, although I’ll likely spring for the extra brownie whether I ran three miles or thirty. Recreationalists are often running just for casual fitness rather than for a specific goal time, so they’ll bring running buddies or extend amicable smiles as they pass. Why do recreationalists run along the Charles River? Camaraderie! They gain motivation from fellow runners, whether that is by trying to catch someone they see in the distance or by high-fiving someone running in the other direction. When you’re running on the Charles, you’re always running with friends.

3.    The Resolutionist – Running isn’t easy, and no one is more aware of that fact than the resolutionist. This is a person who has an infrequent running history, but has made the commitment to getting in better shape. They might take regular water breaks, but the only way you can run 26.2 is by starting with 1 and working your way up, 25 more times. Every step for the resolutionists is a feat of determination, but that doesn’t stop them from getting outside and making the effort day after day. What makes the Charles River so great for the resolutionist? There are few things more discouraging than plodding along on a treadmill. As an alternative, the river offers lovely scenery and the ability to go at one’s own pace without everyone who walks behind the treadmill judging the speed setting.

4.    The Thermos – Breaking news: Cambridge is wicked cold during the winter. Still, there is a distinct subset of people who disregard the necessity of wearing pants. The Thermos is a member of this subset; a person who can be found running in shorts even as the temperature drops noticeably below freezing. I find myself wondering how these people keep running, and often quickly at that, if they cannot actually feel their legs. Like the Marathoners, running along the river is essential to this group because they simply cannot outrun the cold if they have to stop for city drivers.

Thermos or Marathoner? This runner doesn't look like he will stop any time soon

5.    The Life-timer – This category is slightly different from the others in that a person does not have to run to be considered a Life-timer, but the Life-timers are still an essential part of the Charles River running culture. These people are the ones who have been enjoying the waterway longer than many of its visitors have been alive. So many sights around Cambridge will change over the lifetime of a resident, but the river stays true. The life-timers hold countless memories involving the river, and love it the way that I hope all occupants of our city will someday. They have enjoyed the Charles on countless summer mornings when the sunrise is reflected off the glittering water, illuminating the city, and on an equal number of winter mornings when the water is not even visible beneath a fresh layer of snow. Whether the life-timers are still running, taking leisurely walks, or just sitting on a park bench, these people remind us all of the value the Charles River provides for the community.

Take some time to run along the river one day, and you’re sure to pass by fellow runners. Make regular outings a habit and you will start to pick up on trends, like the ones I have noted here. The Charles River is a beloved exercise venue for people of all ages and abilities, and I hope that on the next nice day even more people will go out and find their own reasons why that is!

About the Author: My name is Maddy Wharton, and I am a junior studying Biological Engineering down Mass Ave at MIT. This January, I’ve had the pleasure of interning for the CRC and the only thing I would have changed about the experience is that I would have loved to stay longer! In my spare time, I’m training for a half marathon that I’m running in D.C. in April, so you can normally find me running along the Charles River four days a week.

Water Sampling With the EPA

Love that dirty water? Well, the Charles River water might not be as dirty as you think. Since 1995 efforts by federal, state, and local agencies and environmental advocacy organizations have improved water quality in the Charles River from a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rating of a D to a B+.  Today, many areas in the lower Charles River meet the state public health standards for swimming much of the time.

Cyanobacteria turn the water green
near the Community boating dock  

Cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) blooms in the lower Charles are one of the environmental issues posing a risk to swimmers. Algal blooms turn the water bright green and emit cyanotoxin, which is harmful to humans and animals that come in contact with it. Algal blooms can be triggered by high nutrient levels in the water, warm temperatures, and low stream flow.  These are conditions that are monitored closely by local organizations such as the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA), as well as the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) who have a grant from the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) to monitor and study Cyanobacteria in this area of the river.  Most algal blooms in the lower Charles River occur downstream from the Harvard Bridge (Massachusetts Avenue), especially in the vicinity of Community Boating next to the Edward A. Hatch Memorial Shell (Hatch Shell). This past August, there was a persistent Cyanobacteria bloom extending from the Harvard Bridge to the locks entering the Boston Harbor, resulting a month-long MDPH public health advisory about coming in contact with the water.  Public health advisories are typically issued by municipalities, but MDPH also typically posts advisories relevant to the Charles River that are available online.

Cambridge resident and volunteer, Roger Frymire (left), and EPA's
Tom Faber (right) sort water samples

Recently, the CRC’s director of projects, Jason Lederer and Northeastern University Co-op, Nathaniel Van Cleve accompanied Tom Faber of the EPA and Roger Frymire, a well-know water quality volunteer and advocate, as they conducted split sampling at the MIT community boating dock. Faber and Frymire collected samples by hand near the dock and serviced the EPA water-monitoring buoy stationed nearby in the cove. The EPA buoy suspends a series of water-monitoring instruments that, among other things, use x-ray florescence to detect levels of Cyanobacteria in the water column. The data collected by the buoy can be compared with the physical water samples to better understand the accuracy of the buoy and its potential for forecasting future algal blooms.  Such forecasting methods can be useful in helping notify the public when a potentially dangerous condition exists.

Faber replacing the water quality monitoring device
in the EPA buoy

The Charles River Conservancy advocates for the public use of the lower Charles River and its parklands and restoring public swimming to the river is one of our top priorities. Already the Charles River Swimming Club and the CRC host an annual one-mile swim race in the river and hope to hold more regular swimming events in the future. With help from dedicated individuals like Roger Frymire and Tom Faber, as well as the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), MDPH and CRWA, we are working to better understand how to restore public swimming to the river.

For more information about Cyanobacteria in the Charles River visit http://www.crwa.org/water_quality/algae.html. To learn more about the Charles River Conservancy’s efforts to restore swimming please visit our webpage, http://www.thecharles.org/swimmablecharles.html.  

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North Bank Bridge

The opening of the North Bank Bridge, on Friday July 13, 2012 started a new chapter for North Point Park. A 700 ft long bridge stretching from East Cambridge to Paul Revere Park in Charlestown, its designed to continue the pathway along the Charles River and to connect on to the Harbor walk and the Boston Harbor. It was a 25.3 million dollar contract awarded to Barletta Heavy Division Inc. under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, creating jobs for workers in the construction industry. The bridge is part of the mitigation to compensate for the effects of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project in the New Charles River Basin. 

The green linear park that is the Charles River Basin is a wonderful route where people can partake in bike commuting and recreation. It is one of the highlights of the Greater Boston area. The bridge, designed for pedestrians and cyclists, provides a scenic route for residents traveling to and from the Charlestown waterfront and North End. It goes over the MBTA Commuter Rail tracks and connects North Point Park in Cambridge with the Paul Revere Park in Charlestown. Travelers can then also cross the damn at the mouth of the Charles and reach Portal Park of the Rose Kennedy Freeway. Pedestrian bridges are planned from North Point Park to Nashua Street Park in Boston and run from Nashua Street Park over the tracks to North Station. The three parks will then be linked together and the Charles River Parklands will be connected to the Boston Harbor, and the lost half mile of the Charles River will be returned to the people. There have also been discussions about a new pedestrian bridge linking North Point Park to the Craigie Bridge at the current entrance at the Museum of Science, but funding for this is not currently in the mitigation package.

“The bridge opening provides an exciting opportunity for park users to peer into the future home of the Skatepark and watch the activities on the site begin to increase over the next year,” said Jason Lederer, Project Manager at the Charles River Conservancy. Jason, a scientist, planner, consultant, and education outreach professional, has been working on the Skatepark project and enthusiastically awaits its opening. The Charles River Conservancy is working on the Skatepark project in conjunction with DCR. Planning for the Skatepark started in 2001 and the fundraising started in 2004. The Skatepark is to be built under the ramps of the Zakim bridge ramps in East Cambridge and is set to open in the fall of 2013. While DCR will be responsible for the construction, CRC will oversee the operation and maintenance to ensure that the funds produce the Skatepark that the donors envisioned. The North Bank Bridge will ease access to the Skatepark as well as offer great vistas. For more information visit the CRC website.

-CRC Intern, Roshan A.

The Watertown Arsenal

The old Arsenal site

            The Watertown Arsenal served the United States military from its inception in 1816 until the 1990s, when it was added to the EPAs’ Superfund list, and is now a park and home to the Arsenal Mall and the Arsenal on the Charles office park. Throughout its history, the Watertown Arsenal was used for a variety of military activities that included housing personnel, manufacturing and storing military weapons, and housing a nuclear reactor for research purposes. As a result the Arsenal site had various environmental problems and was listed as a Superfund site from 1994 until 2006.

           

Inside the Arsenal in 1917

            Due to its long history of military storage and use, many chemicals leaked into the environment and the Charles River. Contaminants included volatile organics, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals and pesticides. Thanks to the efforts of the community, regulators, and the army, the site was finally taken off the superfund list in 2006. The surrounding area is now a beautiful park with features such as, a skate park, tennis courts, baseball field, and green parklands. The only remnants of its military past can be seen in the campus-like buildings.  The history of contamination is memorialized in some restrictions on future use that is registered in the deeds.

Location of the GSA

Another property, the so-called “GSA (General Services Administration) site" is 12-acre parcel further downriver that was never part of the superfund site. The GSA site has yet to be fully remediated and is now fenced off from the public and unused. A 2010 study showed remnants of PCBs and dioxins in the soil, both of which are detrimental to public health and the environment. The Army Corps of Engineers is working with state officials to make the property safe for its intended use as a passive recreational area under the control of the Massachusetts DCR. With the combined effort of the army, government, and citizens, the site can finally begin remediation and see similar success to its Superfund neighbor.

Jennifer Coimbra, CRC Intern.

Works cited

"E.P.A. Decision Brings Former Watertown Arsenal One Step Closer to Removal from Superfund Plan." GreenEnvironmentNews.com. The EPA, 18 Sept. 2005. Web. 15 June 2012. <http://www. greenenvironmentnews. com/Environment/Hazardous+Waste/E.P.A.+Decision+Brings+Former+Watertown+Arsenal+One+Step+Closer+to+Removal+from+Superfund+Plan>.

 
 



"Region 1 | Superfund Redevelopment Program | US EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA, 21 Feb. 2012. Web. 15 June 2012. <http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs

Siegal, Lenny. “The watertown arsenal, Massachusetts: A restoration story.” Watertown Arsenal. November 2006. Web. 15 June 2012. http://www.cpeo.org/pubs/Watertown.pdf

"Test results from Watertown's GSA property released - Watertown, MA - Watertown TAB." Massachusetts News - - WickedLocal.com. Gate House Media, 8 July 2010. Web. 20 June 2012. <http://www.wickedlocal.com/watertown/news/x1849218251/Test-results-from-Watertowns-GSA-property-are-in#axzz1yAFyOZ7T>.

Coming Soon- Charles River Skatepark!

If one was to explore the streets of Boston and Cambridge, the scars of skateboarding could be seen all over. From waxing up ledges to denting handrails, skateboarders have continually turned public places into their own skate spots. To skaters and bystanders alike, the presence of skateboarding on a heavily traveled sidewalk or within a popular park could easily become a nuisance. With such little acceptance of the street-sport in eyes of some citizens, exiled skateboarders need a new place to hone their skills. They need somewhere where ticketing, heavy pedestrian traffic and undesirable sidewalk cracks are nonexistent. They need a new skatepark.

Don’t be fooled… Boston does have two older skate parks, located in Hyde Park and East Boston. Yet, most local skaters argue that the plenty of well-known “street spots” that Boston and Cambridge have to offer are more pertinent to the skateboarding community. Many of these street-spots have been featured in skateboarding magazines, team videos and various montages. Some of these local spots have even gained nation-wide attention, attracting skaters from all over America. Unfortunately, many of these spots remain faulty, illegal to skate at, and further call for the need of a new, state of the art skatepark. Being a skateboarder living in Boston, I have experienced my fair share of this city’s skateboarding culture and have witnessed this area’s dire need for the Charles River Skatepark.

As a skateboarder in Boston, many local skate spots could be listed of the top of my head… and practically all of them remain problematic. A majority of Boston’s skate spots have limited access, and tend to be heavily patrolled. This means ticketing – if you get caught at the wrong spot at the wrong time, BPD and/or state officials will readily hand out a hefty fine. Additionally, a lot of the spots are subject to the seasons, time of day, and can tend to be overcrowded (it could be troublesome to share a single waxed ledge with 15 other skateboarders). With state officials’ public announcements to make well-known spots (such as Cambridge’s C-Bowl and Copley Square’s fountain) unskateable, along with implementation of “skate stoppers” throughout Boston, it is made clear that skateboarders need a new playground. They need somewhere that is both safe and welcoming, unlike the two deteriorating parks surrounding Boston. 

The Charles River Skatepark can solve all these problems. It will be built by the Charles River Conservancy, and will then maintained by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The park (designed by Grindline based on the input from skaters) will provide perfectly constructed ledges, staircases, banks, and three different bowls. The park (shown below) perfectly encompasses the right amount of street and vert. It will have smooth surfaces and a large variety of ramps and obstacles, something both of the other skateparks do not provide. Most importantly, it is a place for skateboarders to skate freely without worries. The park will be located under the iconic Leonard P. Zakim Memorial Bridge and is accessible through four different stops on the MBTA. When taking the T, one will be able to find the skatepark between the Community College stop and North Station off of the orange line, and also between Science Park and Lechmere Station on the green line. With a board readily available, skateboarders could reach the skatepark within minutes. With much anticipation over the past decade, the Charles River Conservancy now projects the Charles River Skatepark to be finished by the end of 2013.

            Over the past six months, I worked part-time for the Charles River Conservancy through Northeastern University’s co-op program. Through my role as a project-assistant on the Charles River Skatepark project, I was able to catch a glimpse of the complexity of such a project. Since the project started in the mid-1990’s, it has been an uphill struggle for the Charles River Conservancy to move it along. Thanks the persistent determination over at the Conservancy, especially on Renata’s behalf, the Charles River Skatepark project has taken shape and will surely produce a beautiful work of art. 

Written by James Virga, CRC intern