Support WBUR
The Weekender: Boston's Saturday Morning Newsletter
Lend the Earth a helping hand at these April cleanup events in Mass.
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's Saturday morning newsletter, The Weekender. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Earth Day isn't until April 22, but that isn’t the only day this month to show your appreciation for the planet. Throughout April, volunteer groups from around Greater Boston are organizing cleanup efforts to get their communities prepped for spring and summer.
It's your chance to create the change you want to see, if you've passed by litter and thought “someone should do something about that." It's also an opportunity to meet neighbors who also care enough to spend their Saturdays giving the Earth a refresh.
Here's a list of local cleanup efforts that are looking for more volunteers. (You know what they say: many hands make light work!)
Cassidy Park cleanup | April 5
379 Chestnut Hill Ave., Boston
Volunteers can sign up in-person to join a litter cleanup at grassy Cassidy Park and playground, happening this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cassidy Park is located on Beacon Street just across from the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. They’re also looking for volunteers to do spring planting around the park.
- How to get there: Take the Green Line's C branch to Cleveland Circle or the D branch to Reservoir. Cassidy Park is across the street from bothstops. Street parking is also available.
Boston Marathon route cleanup | April 6 and April 12 - 13
Multiple locations
Help clear the way for Boston Marathon runners this week during Keep Massachusetts Beautiful’s “Litter-Free to the Finish” cleanup. This is not a one-day event, nor one location. There will be cleanup sites in Wellesley, Framingham and Natick. You can pick which location works best for you when you register.
- How to get there: If driving is not an option, several of the cleanup locations are a walkable distance from stations along the MBTA's Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line. (Once you’ve registered, organizers will send the address.)
Moakley Park cleanup | April 12 - October 25
450 Old Colony Ave., Boston
The volunteer agency Boston Cares and nonprofit Boston Harbor Now have collaborated with the city’s Parks Department to organize a monthly cleanup of South Boston’s Moakley Park. This month’s event is on April 12 and begins at 9:30 a.m. Volunteers should register online and meet at the picnic tables near the park’s Saunders Stadium.
- How to get there: Saunders Stadium is a seven-minute walk from the Red Line's JFK/UMass station. Or if you're brave, you can try parking in Southie. (But seriously, you can usually find street parking nearby the park.)
Charles River cleanup | April 25 and 26
Multiple locations
Now’s the time to give that “dirty water” a little more love. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Charles River Watershed Association and a handful of local nonprofits are seeking volunteers for their 26th annual river cleanup in honor of Earth Day. The effort will include sites in 15 cities and towns within the Charles River watershed, from Boston to Bellingham. Get more information and register here.
Find a cleanup effort near you, or plan your own
Keep Massachusetts Beautiful has a detailed calendar of cleanup events across eastern Massachusetts — including the Cape and Islands — happening in April and May. Click here to find one near you.
Can't find one nearby? Organize your own with volunteers in your area.
P.S. — WBUR has served Boston for 75 years and counting. Now, we’re counting on you. At WBUR, we are your trusted source of fact-based and impartial journalism for Boston and beyond. Help sustain our public good and donate today.
