FAQs

Answers to common questions, such as:

How big is the Emerald Necklace?
Who owns the Emerald Necklace?
Are we related to the Nature Conservancy?
Can I have a wedding or other event in the Necklace?
What organizations do we work closely with?
When will the Muddy River Restoration Project be completed?
What happens after the Muddy River Restoration Project is completed?
Do we have a map of the Emerald Necklace?

How big is the Emerald Necklace?

It is over 1,000 acres of parkland, stretching five miles.

Who owns the Emerald Necklace?

The City of Boston, the Town of Brookline and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts each own sections of the Emerald Necklace.

Are we related to the Nature Conservancy?

While we have a similar mission to that of the Nature Conservancy, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy was established to protect, restore, maintain and promote the landscape, waterways and parkways of the Emerald Necklace park system (in Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts) as special places for people to visit and enjoy, where the Nature Conservancy's focus is more global.

Can I have a wedding or other event in the Necklace?

Individuals or groups wishing to hold events in the park system need to contact the Boston Parks Department, or Brookline Parks and Open Space Division, depending on the owner for the particular site you are interested in. For events in the Boston area, you can download the Boston Parks and Recreation Department's Special Event Permit Application.

Boston Parks and Recreation: (617) 635-4505
Brookline Parks and Open Space: (617) 738-2145

What organizations does the Conservancy work closely with?

The Conservancy is a public-private partnership that works collaboratively with each of the three owners of the Emerald Necklace - the City of Boston, the Town of Brookline and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Conservancy also collaborates with park partners and 'friends' groups throughout the Necklace. See our list of partners here

When is the Muddy River Restoration Project going to be completed?

Phase I of the Muddy River Restoration Project is in final design and the anticipated Notice of Project Change (NPC) has now been filed with MEPA . The NPC describes changes to the configuration of this phase of the project, including the installation of bridges at the Riverway and Brookline Avenue and the elimination of the jughandle road, which will also increase the areas of open parkland and open river between the Riverway and Avenue Louis Pasteur. The full text and attachments of the NPC (68 pages) is available on the Boston Parks and Recreation Department website, The seven page NPC form is available on the MEPA website.

Click here to read more about the Conservancy's Restoration Projects.

What happens after the Muddy River Restoration Project is completed?

Since the fall of 1996, the Muddy River has flooded three times, causing damage to residents, businesses institutions and the public transit system in Boston and Brookline. The flooding has brought an urgency to the need to restore the river as a step in implementing the Emerald Necklace Master Plan of landscape and historic resource treatments that seek to undo the effects of erosion, storm damage and neglect over the years. The Muddy River Restoration Project is Phase I of the Emerald Necklace Master Plan. The five objectives of the Muddy River Restoration Project are:

Improvement of flood control
Improvement of water quality
Enhancement of aquatic/riparian habitat
Restoration of landscape and historic resources
Implementation of Best Management Practices

In Phase 1, the parkland in front of the Landmark Center will be excavated to expose the original waterway which has been contained in a culvert underneath the rotary, opening up not only the river but more parkland. Traffic improvements will include removing the jughandle on the south side of Brookline Avenue and changing the traffic pattern to allow a left turn from The Riverway on to Park Drive.