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The Trip

Boston, first incorporated as a town in 1630 and as a city in 1822, is one of America's oldest cities. Its rich history of political, intellectual, scientific, religious, and educational endeavors has made Boston the cultural hub of New England.

Boston's history and landmarks are all around -- from the Boston Common where Puritans grazed their cows to the Old North Church where two lanterns hung on the fateful night of Paul Revere's ride. Its cultural offerings are extensive -- from the Boston Symphony to the Huntington Theatre Company, and the Mary Baker Eddy Library to the New England Conservatory of Music.

Boston is also known for its cutting-edge technology, contemporary art and music, science, architecture, and medical research. Boston today is celebrated for its many institutions of higher education, its world-class hospitals, its high-tech corporations, and professional sports teams.

The Project

Boston's city parks reach seven miles past meadows, manicured flowerbeds, and marshy ponds from Downtown to Dorchester. Extending from the Boston Common and Public Garden to the Franklin Park and Arnold Arboretum, the parks are connected by the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, creating an urban oasis in the center of the city. Six city parks, strung together by a greenway, are known as the Emerald Necklace.

Sierra Club volunteers will assist one of Boston's nonprofit conservation organizations, with projects to help ready the city's extensive park system for the summer season.

Itinerary

We will meet on Sunday evening for dinner, our first meal together. We will work partial days for four days with one day off. The trip will end after breakfast on our last day.

On our free day, we can walk the Freedom Trail together, taking in the historic sights of the American Revolution. We can visit Quincy Market, walk to the North End to see the Old North Church, then take a ferry to visit the USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides," the world's oldest fully commissioned ship still afloat. We can climb the Bunker Hill Monument, which marks the end of the Freedom Trail. Try one of Boston's fine restaurants or a local pub for dinner out on the evening of our free day.

During free time you can visit museums, such as the Museum of Fine Art, Museum of Science, The Institute of Contemporary Art, the Harvard Museum of Natural History, MIT Museum, or the Isabella Stuart Gardiner Museum. Take advantage of Boston's many free or inexpensive cultural institutions and events by checking the days when discounts are offered.

Getting There

Many airlines, bus companies, trains, and interstate highways lead to Boston. Logan International Airport is located in East Boston. Options for getting to and from the airport are provided by Massport (Massport.com). If you're coming by car, there are three main routes into Boston: I-90 from the west; I-95 from the north and south, and I-93 from the north and south. We strongly encourage you to park at one of the city's perimeter parking lots and take the T into town. Alewife in Cambridge and the Braintree garage are two options that offer relatively inexpensive parking on the Red Line. The MBTA (MBTA.org) offers an online trip planner to help you figure out how to get here by subway, local bus, or train. Nationwide bus companies, including Greyhound and Peter Pan, stop downtown at South Station, near the financial district and on the Red Line subway.

Accommodations and Food

Our base of operations will be in downtown Boston, convenient to our work area and centrally located close to museums, theaters, historical sites, and the subway. Our accommodations will be in shared rooms with bunk beds.

We will prepare meals together and pack our lunch each day. We will have many fresh foods and a varied menu that will offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian selections; please discuss any dietary restrictions with the leader in advance. Each participant will help cook and clean up at least one day of the trip. On our free day, plan to have dinner out at a Boston landmark restaurant.

Trip Difficulty

Work projects vary from light-duty to moderate. Each participant will work at his or her own pace.

Equipment and Clothing

Please bring work gloves. We will provide all tools. The weather should be comfortable in June, but be prepared to dress in layers for a range of quite warm to rather cool temperatures. Rain gear is essential. We will work in light to moderate rain (but not in storms or high winds). A detailed clothing list will be provided before the trip.

References

Websites:

•    City of Boston: www.cityofboston.gov/visitors
•    Cambridge: www.cambridge-usa.org
•    Museums of Boston: http://www.museumsofboston.org/index.php
•    John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: www.jfklibrary.org
•    Harvard Museum of Natural History: www.hmnh.harvard.edu

Conservation

We will learn about the ongoing clean up and restoration of Boston Harbor and the Charles River. Increasing urbanization, climate change, and pollution are impacting clean water resources everywhere. We will invite speakers to inform us about the issues of clean water in Boston.

Trip Price

See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

Staff

Leader:

Mary Alice Smith joined the Sierra Club in 2002, following a trip to Yosemite National Park. A service trip in 2009 sparked her interest in becoming a Sierra Club national leader to share her love of the outdoors. She assisted on trips in 2010 and led three trips in 2011. Growing up in rural Georgia, she enjoyed roaming the woods and fields and developed a deep affinity for nature. Favorite activities include hiking in the White Mountains and her home state of Rhode Island. She also enjoys bird watching, biking, yoga, and listening to acoustic music.

E-mail: maryalicesmith4@gmail.com

Assistant Leader:

Alex Louden joined the Sierra Club in 1989 when she lived in New York and was active with local environmental organizations in cleaning up and marking trails. In 1991 she moved to the San Francisco Bay area where she discovered the many opportunities for hiking, trail building, and backpacking available through the Loma Prieta Sierra Club Chapter, the Sierra Singleaires group, and later in Washington State. Alex has been a leader on trips, hikes and trail building weekends in California and a co-leader on base camp and lodge trips. A few years ago Alex relocated from Washington State, where she worked building trails and organizing professional events, to New Jersey where she continues to discover the natural beauty of another state.

E-mail: alexlouden@gmail.com

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General Notes About Sierra Club Trips

• Carbon Offsets
• Carpooling
• Electronic Devices
• Equipment
• How to Apply for a Trip
• Leader Gratuities
• Liability Release and Assumption of Risk
• Medical Issues
• Non-discrimination Statement
• Participant Approval
• Reservation and Cancellation Policy
• Seller of Travel Disclosure
• Travel Insurance
• Trip Feedback
• Wilderness Manners