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Community Corner

Volunteers Beautify the Charles in Watertown

On Sunday, October 27, over 30 volunteers joined Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) for a fall cleanup along four miles of the banks of the Charles River in Watertown and Brighton. Volunteers collected over 20 bags of trash including car parts, food wrappers and other debris. CRWA organized the cleanup in conjunction with COASTSWEEP, the Commonwealth’s annual coastal cleanup program, organized by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management.

Volunteers included Watertown residents, students from nearby colleges including Bunker Hill Community College, and employees from Amgen and Momenta Pharmaceuticals. Volunteers worked in three teams to collect trash from Soldiers Field Rd., Nonantum Rd., and Charles River Rd. Volunteers removed various items including discarded toys, clothing, plastic bags and a 25lb weight. The gathered trash was then disposed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The cleanup provided volunteers an opportunity to enjoy the nice weather, meet new people and contribute to a healthier community. Alexandra Ash, CRWA’s Event Coordinator commented on the number of passers-by who witnessed the volunteer’s efforts to clean up the Charles. “Several Watertown residents stopped to thank volunteers for their work, and one jogger even stopped to join and gather several bags of trash while she waited for her son to finish hockey practice.”

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This cleanup was the second annual fall cleanup held by CRWA in conjunction with COASTSWEEP. Since 1987, volunteers throughout Massachusetts have turned out for the annual COASTSWEEP cleanup organized by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). Each September and October, thousands of volunteers collect several tons of trash from beaches, marshes, river banks and the seafloor. CRWA will continue its  cleanup efforts with the 15th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup, to be held on April 2014. The annual cleanup is hosted by CRWA and partner organizations and brings over 4,000 volunteers from all over the watershed. For more information about the 15th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup and other events please visit www.charlesriver.org

About Charles River Watershed Association:
Charles River Watershed Association’s mission is to use science, advocacy and the law to protect, preserve and enhance the Charles River and its watershed. One of our country’s first watershed organizations, CRWA formed in 1965 in response to public concern about the declining condition of the Charles River. Since its earliest days of advocacy, CRWA has figured prominently in major clean-up and watershed protection efforts that have dramatically improved the health of the Charles.

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