15th Anniversary Celebration held on May 14, 2013
More than 250 people gathered under the tent to celebrate the Conservancy’s milestone and honor longtime volunteers as Park Champions. The first-ever Olmsted Award of Excellence was presented to Sarah Freeman.
People in the Parks Fund
Proceeds from this event will support the 15th Anniversary People in the Parks Fund, providing critical support to help sustain three signature programs:
- Youth Leadership and Green Team
- Emerald Necklace Park Volunteers
- Summer Sundays in the Park free concert and movie series
People and Trees
The 15th year features activities throughout the year that focus on two of the park’s greatest assets: people and trees. We kicked off the anniversary year at our Annual Meeting in November with an inspiring presentation by Coleen O’Connell and announcement by the Justine Mee Liff Fund of the launch of the Olmsted Tree Society, an initiative to raise $1 million to replace damaged trees and plant new ones in the Emerald Necklace.
Just a few milestones since the conservancy’s founding in 1998
- Conservancy volunteers and program participants have contributed over 85,000 hours, worth $2.3 million, to park projects and programs
- The $92 million dollar Muddy River Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project has broken ground
- The H.H. Richardson-designed Stony Brook Gatehouse has been restored to become the Shattuck Emerald Necklace Visitor Center, a $1.25 million project