Recap: Neponset Cleanup Fall 2026
What a day! On Saturday, September 19, hundreds of volunteers came together at sites throughout the Neponset River Watershed for our 2026 Neponset River Fall Cleanup.
Together, volunteers removed trash, debris, and invasive plants, leaving our parks and waterways cleaner and healthier.
We’re grateful to everyone who showed up, pitched in, and helped protect the Neponset. And a big thank-you to our site captains and community partners for helping make the cleanup a success!
What We Found
More than 120 bags of trash were collected—and four truckloads of invasive Japanese knotweed were removed!
Some of the more unusual finds included a toilet and car bumper at Ryan Playground. Other trash collected included:
- Dozens of bags of bottles, cans, nips, beer cans, and cigarette butts
- Plastic debris, including large plastic pieces, wrappers, food packaging, microplastics, a plastic bin, and a tarp
- Broken glass and metal, including a metal pole and bucket
- Shoes, fishing gear, cigar mouthpieces, and a 10′ length of PVC pipe
- Three tires, including a monster truck tire
- A pogo stick and confetti—because you never know what you’ll find at a cleanup!
And that’s not all—we’re still tallying the haul!
Cleanup Sites Included:
- Neponset Landing, Quincy
- Squantum Point Park, Quincy
- Tenean Beach, Dorchester
- Neponset Greenway Trail near Baker Square Condominiums, Dorchester
- Granite Ave, Dorchester
- Riverside Ave, Milton
- Neponset Greenway Canopy Walk near Ryan Playground, Mattapan
- Edgewater Drive, Mattapan
- Belnel Neighborhood, Hyde Park
- Martini Shell Park and Neponset Greenway Trail on Truman Parkway, Hyde Park
- Bird Pond and Endean Trail, Walpole
- Revere Heritage Site, Canton
Couldn’t join the cleanup?
Consider donating to help offset the cost at neponset.org/donate
Thanks to sponsors and partners! Barletta and GZA Environmental.
MA Dept. of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) | Belnel Neighborhood Association | Edgewater Neighborhood Association | Friends of the Boston Harborwalk (FBHW) | Greater Boston Trout Unlimited | Keep Hyde Park Beautiful | Milton DPW | Neponset River Greenway Council | Norwood DPW
For any questions about the cleanup, please email NepRWA Environmental Science Fellow Paloma Silva-Navarro at silva-navarro@neponset.org.
