Puzzle Pieces

The Mystic River

As the Mystic River flows through communities in greater Boston—including East Boston, Chelsea, and Charlestown—it also connects communities, supporting parks, waterfront access, and industry. The lower Mystic River, which runs from the Amelia Earhart Dam in Somerville, under the Tobin Bridge, and out into Boston Harbor, has been especially essential for industry. That’s meant years of heavy pollution, but after a massive harbor cleanup, there’s now an effort to consider the future of life alongside and with the Mystic that prepares communities for the flooding and extreme heat impacts of climate change, while letting them enjoy the benefits of a clean waterfront. That effort has been getting to the very heart of what rivers can be for their surroundings. In this episode—made by CBI in collaboration with the Resilient Mystic Collaborative—you’ll hear from community members and more about what this storied river means, has meant, and could mean for them. Find out more about the Mystic River Waterfront Vision plan at https://mysticriver.org/mystic-river-waterfront-vision, and read up on CBI’s work at cbi.org.

The Muddy River

Part of the Charles River watershed in Boston, the Muddy River has been built over and contaminated to such a degree that people often miss how crucial it is. What happens when an ecologically connecting thread gets obscured? Here, in collaboration with the Charles River Watershed Association, CBI brings together people with connections to different aspects of the Muddy, all to talk about how the river came to its present condition—and about what the river means for the world around it.