Dozens of Tires Removed from the Charles River Thanks to One Determined Volunteer
Damon Carter enjoys canoeing in the Charles River in the Dedham/West Roxbury area. However, in shallow areas, particularly exposed during drought conditions, dozens of old tires have created an eye sore and environmental menace in this otherwise pristine urban oasis.
Mr. Carter reached out to DCR Volunteer Management staff to discuss this. Plans were discussed for Mr. Carter to assemble some volunteers to pull the tires from the river as part of DCR’s Annual ParkServe Day and Earth Week celebrations. In turn, DCR’s Volunteer Management staff would identify an environmentally-sound way to dispose of all those tires —not a routine operation of the agency—but a worthy effort for Earth Week.
Then came COVID-19, putting a halt to ParkServe Day and most of our daily lives for months to come. Mr. Carter, however, was undeterred. In the months to come, he would remove upwards of 60 tires from the Charles River himself, by hand—just one man and his canoe!
Happily, DCR was able to align the resources to dispose of the tires in an Earth-friendly manner. Mr. Carter recently met up with DCR field staff and a lift truck to haul this this massive load away.
DCR gives high praise and accolades to Damon Carter for his personal and passionate commitment to create a cleaner, healthier Charles River!
DCR partners with hundreds of volunteers each year to make Massachusetts state parks, beaches, trails and open spaces cleaner and greener!