In the News

Check this page every few weeks to stay current on events, newspaper articles, podcasts, contests, and other stories that might interest you.

Events

Early Explorers
September 17th - 10:00 – 11:30 am
Boston Nature Center - 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan

Ages 3-6, with an adult

Join the Boston Nature Center for outdoor explorations, stories, games and fun. Activities are based on seasonal nature topics. Bring a small snack to enjoy at the end of the program.

Mass Audubon members $4.00, nonmembers $6.00. Family rate: $8.00, $12.00.

Preregistration is required. To register for any of BNC’s programs, please call (617-983-8500 x 6904) or visit www.massaudubon.org/boston.

Fall Forest Festival
Saturday, September 19th - all day
Scarboro Pond - Franklin Park

games, family nature walks, tree climbing, volunteering and watercolor landscape painting.

Fall Bird Walk with Molly Edmonds
Saturday, September 19th - 7:30 – 9:30 am
Boston Nature Center - 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan

Join Mass Audubon volunteer Molly Edmonds on an early morning walk through the Boston Nature Center to discover and learn more about birds and birding. Binoculars will be provided, if needed.

Mass Audubon members $4.00, nonmembers $6.00. Family rate: $8.00, $12.00.

Jamaica Plain Historical Society Celebration
Honoring Historian Francis Parkman
Saturday, September 19th - 11:00am - 1:00pm
Parkman Memorial on Parkman Drive - Jamaica Pond

Please join the Jamaica Plain Historical Society in a celebration in honor of eminent historian Francis Parkman upon the 186th anniversary of his birth. There will be a clean up of the area around the memorial and then brief remarks about Parkman's contribution. Afterwards, attendees will have an opportunity to enjoy birthday cake on the slopes that Parkman himself loved so well. You are invited to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the memorial site afterwards. This event is free and open to the public. A map showing the location of the Parkman Memorial is available.

www.jphs.org

Tales & Trails for Families
Saturday, September 19th - 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Boston Nature Center - 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan

Join the BNC staff as we explore the changing of seasons. Children will take part in hands on activities indoors and outdoors while discovering the wildlife found right here in Boston. Each program will cover important aspects of biology, environmental education as well as observation and problem solving skills. Adults are welcome to join the group or relax in our library.

Mass Audubon members $4.00, nonmembers $6.00. Family rate: $8.00, $12.00.

Preregistration is required. To register for any of BNC’s programs, please call (617-983-8500 x 6904) or visit www.massaudubon.org/boston.

Rappin' with Raptors Festival
Saturday, September 26th - 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Boston Nature Center - 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan

Tour the visitor center, hike the trails, enjoy lively entertainment provided by Branches Steel Orchestra, see up close and learn about live raptors from Blue Hills Trailside Museum, and visit the exhibits and displays in Boston's greenest municipal building. The day will include programs for children and adults, entertainment, food for all, and will feature activities offered by many of our collaborating cultural and green organizations! Fun for all ages!

Event is free. Rain or shine.

bnc@massaudubon.org
617-983-8500

Volunteer Day in Franklin Park
Saturday, September 26th - 2:00pm - 4:00pm
The Bear Cages - Franklin Park

Planting young trees in Long Crouch Woods near the old bear cages.

TD Bank Boston Cycling Celebration
Saturday, September 26th - 2:00pm
Boston City Hall Plaza

Olympians. National champions. We’re talking the country’s BEST pro cyclists pedaling by you so fast, you’ll feel the breeze! It’s the first annual TD Bank Mayor’s Cup Pro Race. It’s all FREE to spectators. The “Boloco Block Party” kicks off at 2pm. Then catch the pro races, a kids race, and a mascot race. It all wraps up with a free concert featuring Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra on The Plaza.

And if you’re adrenaline is still pumping on Sunday, come on out for the fifth annual Hub On Wheels citywide bike ride. All proceeds go to support Boston school kids. When you’re done, The Boloco Block Party will still be there waiting for you.

Check it out today and enter to win a free bicycle: www.tdbankcyclingweekend.com

Proudly brought to you by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, City of Boston, making Boston a world-class bicycling city.

Brain Injury Awareness - Heads Held High 7th Annual Walk
Saturday, October 3rd - 10:00am - 2:00pm
Jamaica Pond Boathouse - Jamaica Pond
www.babis.info
617-573-2539

Newpaper Articles

New Parks Map Shows it All
John Ruch - The Jamaica Plain Gazette - August 14th, 2009

In cooperation with the National Park Service, the Conservancy has created a new map of the Emerald Necklace parks and this article from the Gazette tells all about it, including where you can get yours!

With donations down, Brookline charities refocusing on those most in need
Neal Simpson/staff writer - The Brookline Tab - June 17th, 2009

This article discusses how the economy has affected funding for local programs and touches upon the fact that youth employment programs have become a priority.

Emerald Necklace Conservancy Op-Ed in 3/25 Boston Globe
Julie Crockford and Sylvia Salas - The Boston Globe - March 25, 2009

This Op-Ed was writting by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy's President, Julie Crockford, against transferring parkways and parkway bridges currently under the control of DCR to MassHighway.

Fundraiser is on to Improve Arborway
Jennifer Santos - The Bulletin Newspapers - February 12, 2009

This article features the Arborway Coalition's work to restore the Arborway; their next project is to raise money to replace the chainlink fence along the Arborway with a more aesthetically pleasing picket fence.

DCR Funding Comes Through: more needed
By David Taber - The Jamaica Plain Gazette - February 6, 2009

This article discusses the plans for the Arborway, the Conservancy and other local organizations' support of these plans and voices the necessity for further support.

How the City Hurts Your Brain
By Jonah Lehrer - The Boston Globe - January 2, 2009

This article is about studies that demonstrate how important nature is to a person's ability to think. The Conservancy's President, Julie Crockford, summarized these findings in her remarks at this year's Annual Meeting.

Podcasts

The Aching Brains of Urban Dwellers
By Virginia Prescott - NH Public Radio - January 6, 2009

The city can be an exhausting place. Now scientists are looking at how the urban landscape affects our brains. Jonah Lehrer appeared NHPR's Word of Mouth to help explain these studies.