ANNUAL REPORT 2021
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Dear Friends, Throughout these last tumultuous years, the parks of the Emerald Necklace have proven to be among the few places where people could safely explore and unwind. We’ve seen time and again that these urban oases rise to the occasion: they are open, public places where one can find solitude or community, explore the wonders of nature or experience its healing effects. Parks must meet the needs of the current moment, and, thanks to your support, the Emerald Necklace parks continue to do so each day.
We’ve seen time and again that our urban parks rise to the occasion: they are open, public places where one can find solitude or community, explore the wonders of nature or experience its healing effects.
Within these pages are stories of what you helped make possible over the Conservancy’s last fiscal year, spanning October 2020 to September 2021. Some accomplishments are immediately gratifying, like tree pruning and parks cleanups, and others will be felt for years to come, such as building an inclusive coalition of greenspace champions across Greater Boston and advocating for the return of parkland to the Necklace’s largest “jewel”. This work would not be possible without friends like you—the volunteers, partners, donors and parkgoers who help in countless ways. It is thanks to you that we can improve and revitalize a regional greenspace connection for parkgoers, pedestrians and cyclists; fight to restore free and open greenspace to the communities we serve; and care
Karen Mauney-Brodek, President
for thousands of trees in our urban canopy so that they continue to clean and cool our air for decades to come. Your support enables us to act, to lead, to grow and to listen, and every helping hand brings us closer to a greener, more interconnected future. You will notice in this report a new lens for viewing all the Conservancy does: Parks, People, Policy. These three points embody how we carry out our mission to restore and improve the Emerald Necklace for all, from capital projects, tree care and restoration efforts throughout these 1,100 acres (Parks); to community partnerships, educational and public programs and volunteer engagement (People); and advocacy for access and safety improvements, park funding and revitalization (Policy). Reaffirming these cornerstone values sharpens our focus on connecting people and parks and ensures that Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision of public greenspaces as truly democratic and welcoming places continues to be fulfilled two centuries after his birth. We look forward to honoring Olmsted’s Bicentennial with you throughout 2022. And we thank you for your care, your service and your continued support of the parks and the Conservancy. See you in the parks,
Ben Taylor, Board Chair
Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report
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Coming Together for Olmsted Now Frederick Law Olmsted, America’s first landscape architect, shaped our nation’s urban parks—and our very conception of green public space. April 26, 2022 marks the 200th anniversary of Olmsted’s birth: a milestone that encourages us to reflect on these parks’ original intent and how they serve us today.
Together with colleagues at Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site (Fairsted) in Brookline and more than 100 greater Boston area partners, the Conservancy has been planning Olmsted Now: Greater Boston’s Olmsted Bicentennial, an initiative shaped by Olmsted’s own philosophy of parks as spaces for community health and empowerment.
Olmsted considered the Emerald Necklace to be his “most important work”—no small accolade in an illustrious career spanning several decades and continents and some 500 projects.
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parks. people. policy.
Olmsted considered the Emerald Necklace to be his “most important work1”—no small accolade in an illustrious career spanning several decades and continents and some 500 projects. To craft a bicentennial worthy of his magnum opus, we spent 2021 knitting together a growing coalition of community partners—neighborhood councils, cultural organizations, colleges and universities, nonprofits, artists and other collaborators—to honor Olmsted’s values of shared use, shared health and shared power in public space. As we grapple with the triple pandemics of COVID-19, climate change and social injustice, these values are as relevant today as they were in the late 19th century, when Olmsted moved his family and firm to Brookline, MA to design the Emerald Necklace to connect and heal Boston’s rapidly urbanizing neighborhoods and “[do] the best for Boston all the time.2”
around current topics and make space for a panoply of perspectives. We are giving a platform—literally—to the greater Boston’s area’s creatives, activists, community leaders and more through the monthly outdoor series Parks as Platform, which will enliven each park in the Emerald Necklace with free activities from April to October and bring the entire Necklace together with a signature event in September 2022. And we are amplifying voices, stories, partnerships and programs through a shared set of tools: the website olmstednow.org, the Instagram account @olmstednow and a year of public events and programs. Our vision for Olmsted’s Bicentennial is vastly more than a single person, date or program. It is a collaborative process that is building partnerships across disciplines, communities and missions in pursuit of public spaces that are truly for all. It is a practice field that advances Olmsted’s vision with a program as diverse as Greater Boston and as welcoming as a shaded city park on a hot day. How do we achieve this? We have created a “Committee of Neighborhoods,” which places trusted community leaders at the center of an equity-driven process that empowers community-generated bicentennial programming. We are committing to shared learning through monthly public dialogues, which frame Olmsted’s legacy values
We are excited to welcome a 2022 filled with park programs, partnerships and ideas that not only make our shared green spaces more vibrant, verdant, equitable and welcoming for all, but catalyze a conversation on shared use, shared health and shared power in our public spaces far beyond the 1,100 acres of the Emerald Necklace—or a single calendar year. Join us for Greater Boston’s Olmsted Bicentennial and see just how much your parks—and your community—can inspire you to reconnect with your city and yourself!
1 Letter to John Charles Olmsted and Charles Eliot, November 1893. Quoted in Inventing the Charles River by Karl Haglund, 2002. 2 Letter to John Charles Olmsted and Charles Eliot, 1893. Quoted in Lost Boston by Jane Holtz Kay, 1980
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A More Resilient Muddy River The Muddy River is the Emerald Necklace’s central artery, running through most of the park system on its way from Jamaica Pond to the Charles River. Olmsted shaped much of the Necklace around the Muddy, sometimes even reshaping the river to fit his vision for the park. The two were designed to work together to protect Boston and Brookline from damaging floods—a need that grows more urgent each year. And much as the parks need care and maintenance to be at their healthiest, so do the waterways. Bostonians know firsthand the dangers of a neglected river: the Muddy River’s disastrous flooding in the 1990s led to the founding of the Conservancy with the central goal of restoring and maintaining 4
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this critical waterway and its surrounding greenspace. Significant progress was achieved with the “daylighting” of the Muddy at Liff Park in 2017, and the US Army Corps of Engineers is now hard at work on Phase 2 of the Muddy River Restoration. A multiyear project to dredge the riverbed, improve waterflow, restore shoreline habitat and remove harmful invasive plants that overwhelm native ecosystems, this restoration will increase the River’s capacity to manage stormwater. The ongoing restoration has already made the Muddy more resilient, as last summer’s high-precipitation storms demonstrated. Though swollen by repeat July rainstorms, the Muddy performed its function, containing the influx of water within its banks and preventing significant flooding. Expect to see the chain-link fencing and construction equipment at Leverett Pond, the Riverway and Back Bay Fens through 2023—a small inconvenience as this crucial preventive work is completed to protect our city from future storms.
Lighting the Path Forward Winter in New England is no light matter—and, last year, darkness and cold came with even more challenges. Responding to community need to continue safe and meaningful outdoor activities as daylight waned and temperatures dropped, in early 2021, the Conservancy quickly launched a new parks experience that offered just that: light and another fun reason to explore the Emerald Necklace in winter. From February 8 through March 31, Lights in the Necklace celebrated the power of urban parks to bring people together and light the way in challenging times. Eight iconic bridges at six locations from Franklin Park to the Back Bay Fens were awash in an emerald glow each evening thanks to battery-powered LED lights. Special signage featured a map of all Lights in the Necklace locations and invited the public to learn more about the spot-lit bridges and their history.
The emerald bridges offered remarkable vistas and picture taking moments, bringing joy to commuters, runners and walkers in the Necklace during the darkest months. Lights in the Necklace quickly gained fans across the city as park users came for the emerald views, shared pictures on social media and even organized group bike tours of the featured bridges. We were gratified to share our love for the Necklace with this wintertime treat—and to see it reflected in your own discovery of the Necklace by night. “Our winters are already long, and last winter especially we needed light, hope and safe ways to enjoy the outdoors with limited daylight,” said Conservancy President Karen Mauney-Brodek. “We hope this seasonal installation did just that: give folks an excuse and a reason for an enjoyable park outing after hours.”
Lights in the Necklace celebrated the power of urban parks to bring people together and light the way in challenging times.
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Investing in a Healthy Urban Tree Canopy The tree canopy that stretches from end to end of the Emerald Necklace—Boston’s largest park system—comprises more than 9,000 trees, some dating back to the time of the parks’ creation in the late 1800s.
2,300+
Trees pruned throughout Franklin Park and the Arborway
318
Trees watered throughout the parks in summer
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As Boston, Brookline and the Commonwealth work toward a climate-resilient future and focus on strengthening our shared greenspaces, it is more important than ever to invest in our trees, ensuring their health and longevity. As some of the city’s most vital “green infrastructure,” trees and parks reduce the heat island effect, improve air quality, provide natural stormwater management and more. The Conservancy’s tree work took center stage on May 6 at Keeping the Emerald Necklace Green, our 2021 Annual Meeting. Featuring presentations from
professional arborist Dr. James Clark and the Conservancy’s Field Operations Manager Erica Holm, this virtual event took a closer look at the Conservancy’s investments of nearly $5 million in the Necklace tree canopy since the founding of our Olmsted Tree Society in 2013 and examined the impact of this work on the parks and the city. The conversation concluded with a Q&A panel with the featured speakers and Boston Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ryan Woods. Out in the parks, we were busier than ever keeping our canopy in good shape—pruning, watering or inspecting thousands of trees throughout the entire park system. The Conservancy was also invited to the Boston Urban Forest Plan Community Advisory Board, ensuring a resilient Boston for future generations. The sustainable future of our community relies on healthy trees and green parks, and we thank you all who have supported the Conservancy in caring for our urban forests.
Volunteers at the Ready It takes a village to keep 1,100 acres of urban parkland clean, and our robust field volunteer program did just that in 2021. After pausing inperson volunteer activities in 2020, we were eager to get back up and running, safely, and so were you! We created “Do-it-Yourself” clean-up kits and distributed dozens of them into helping hands so that the Emerald Necklace parks and waterways could stay clean and healthy as they welcomed record numbers of parkgoers. As the weather warmed, our popular seasonal volunteer opportunities returned. The annual Muddy River Cleanup featured a new weeklong format, with more than 200 volunteers removing roughly 2,000 pounds of litter from the parks. Tuesdays with Roses welcomed volunteers back to the Kelleher Rose Garden for weekly pruning and cleanup duties—a sweet-scented task— and our Second Saturdays events invited
2,000 lbs of trash removed at the Muddy River Cleanup
401
Total volunteers throughout FY21
small groups to volunteer every month in all corners of the Necklace. Our generous volunteers planted bulbs, pruned, picked up trash, removed invasive plants and gave back to the parks that give us so much every day. We are humbled by this show of support and commitment to the greenspaces we all share. Thank you! Want to roll up your sleeves with us this season? Check out www.emeraldnecklace. org/volunteer for a list of upcoming opportunities.
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Reaching Tomorrow’s Park Stewards
We are proud to help grow the next generation of arborists, landscape architects and policymakers.
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The Emerald Necklace is a valuable teacher of natural sciences, landscape architecture, public policy and much more. Last year, our youth education programs engaged with a hybrid model that balanced time in the parks with learning about greenspace stewardship and leadership development. From December through April, the Youth Leadership Program cohort received valuable job training and leadership skills, capping off their curriculum with tree planting in Franklin Park. In summer, the Green Team gained environmental education, parks maintenance skills, team building and more. One participant reflected, “I really appreciate having a strong connection to nature, and I have learned some of what goes into creating the areas that allow people in urban areas to have close connections with nature.”
In spring 2021, we also piloted the Youth Landscape Architecture Studio in partnership with the Boston Society of Landscape Architects and Boston Architectural College. This 12-week intensive after-school program introduced a cohort of ten Boston youth, most residing near Franklin Park, to landscape architecture, urban planning and spatial justice topics using the Green New Deal and the Franklin Park Action Plan as case studies. All program participants reported gaining a new appreciation for open space and a heighted interest in taking care of our planet. “My main takeaway is that landscape architecture, parks, and green spaces are vital to urban areas,” a Youth Landscape Architecture Studio participant shared. “I’d love to pursue a career through which I could help create these spaces and make them accessible to everyone.” We are proud to help grow the next generation of arborists, landscape architects and policymakers—a green education is an investment in a brighter future for all our greenspaces.
Restoring Parkland to Franklin Park As the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Franklin Park awaits demolition, the Conservancy is working to capture a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to return 13 acres of greenspace to public use, at the same time optimizing the site’s services at a better-suited location. Under the Commonwealth’s current plan, the Shattuck site, pictured at right, would be redeveloped for private use, combining addiction treatment and temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness. These services are essential as our community struggles with dueling crises, and the Conservancy is championing an alternative location which better connects those seeking treatment to jobs, transit and other resources. Reusing the Shattuck site, far away from residential communities and wraparound care services, is not the best solution, nor the quickest. At an April 2021 public hearing about the Commonwealth’s proposal, former Massachusetts Governors Bill Weld and
Michael Dukakis urged the restoration of parkland to Franklin Park—an environmental justice community—emphasizing that the Commonwealth has locations better suited for these critical services. Both called for using the nearby 18-acre Arborway Yards, an underdeveloped site also controlled by the Commonwealth. A study by Northeastern University found that this alternative site has ample space for several urgent needs: mental health and addiction rehabilitation services, housing for the formerly homeless and support for Boston’s growing electric bus fleet. Why is a bus yard preferable to a park site? For those recovering from addiction and homelessness, proximity to public transit, retail and services, residential neighbors and jobs combine to reinforce supportive services and contribute to better economic outcomes. The Conservancy remains engaged in the complex but important work of connecting communities, agencies and park users to forge and facilitate the best outcomes for greenspace and community needs. The conversation continues and welcomes your voice: for more information on how to support this rare opportunity, visit bit.ly/RestoreFP.
A study by Northeastern University found that this alternative site has ample space for several urgent needs.
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Summer Events Reunited us in the Parks The seven parks and 1,100 acres of the Emerald Necklace provide plenty of elbow room and fresh air for gathering safely, and we were eager to help you do just that last summer. After a year of fun virtual events, we were thrilled to see you in the parks at smaller, more spread-out programs as part of our 2021 Summer on the Emerald Necklace event series. With a mix of socially distanced outdoor events and live online programming, the Necklace was buzzing from June through September with perennial favorites like music concerts and new additions like storytelling for kids. Bringing the community together is one of the many things the Emerald Necklace was designed to do, and we were thrilled to see neighbors from all corners of the Necklace reunite at our summer events. Whether you got fit at one of our yoga, Pilates or Tai Chi classes, took in a live musical performance showcasing local talent, or enjoyed a guided parks tour, you—together with nearly 1,700 other parks friends—helped make Summer on the Emerald Necklace a triumph. This year, we are bringing you more ways to connect with the Necklace and your neighbors as we mark the bicentennial of Frederick Law Olmsted with Parks as Platform, a monthly series of fun and engaging parks programs from April through October. Learn more and see the schedule of upcoming events at www.emeraldnecklace.org/events. See you in the parks!
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1,683 Attendees at summer events
46
Total events in-person, online and hybrid
Events held in
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Emerald Necklace parks
With a mix of socially distanced outdoor events and live online programming, the Necklace was buzzing from June through September.
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Gathering for Greenspace We are grateful to the Conservancy champions who gathered online and in person to support the Emerald Necklace at our signature fundraising events in the last fiscal year. In October 2020, more than 120 guests “Zoomed in” to the all-virtual An Emerald Evening In to celebrate the parks and the Conservancy’s mission to restore and improve the Emerald Necklace for all. The evening featured networking, a cocktail reception with cheese boxes sent to attendees’ homes from local Curds & Co. and a program honoring Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh with the Olmsted Award of Excellence. The Walsh administration’s significant investments in the Necklace’s tree canopy, pathways and woodland restoration made an indelible impact on these parks’ health and safety and we were honored to recognize Mayor Walsh’s leadership for a greener, more connected city.
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The Conservancy’s flagship springtime event, Party in the Park, debuted nearly 20 years ago to raise support for important tree work and capital improvements in the Necklace via the Justine Mee Liff Fund. After a necessary hiatus in 2020, we eagerly planned for the Party’s return the following year. Its 2021 incarnation came as Cocktails in the Park, a fall gathering at the iconic Pinebank Promontory overlooking Jamaica Pond, where nearly 300 Necklace champions, greenspace supporters and public partners came together for a green cause. Proceeds from the event benefitted the Charlesgate Park Revitalization Project and contributed more than $210,000 to immediate and long-term park improvements. We cannot overstate our gratitude to the public partners, volunteers and donors who make restoration, maintenance and capital improvement projects possible from end to end of the Necklace—your support makes all the difference.
Taking Down Barriers in Charlesgate Park When Frederick Law Olmsted began designing the Emerald Necklace in the 1870s, he envisioned Charlesgate Park as its grand entrance. Linking his new parks to the Commonwealth Avenue Mall and the Charles River Esplanade, Charlesgate Park featured lagoons, broad vistas and serene interchanges for bicyclists, pedestrians and carriages. Since 2017, the Conservancy has been partnering with Charlesgate Alliance, the Commonwealth’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and open space advocates like the Esplanade Association and Friends of the Public Garden to restore this longjeopardized greenspace link. Last winter, we got a startling reminder of the project’s urgency when a five-foot-wide sinkhole appeared in the park, swallowing a young tree and underscoring the park’s aging infrastructure. We made significant strides for Charlesgate Park’s revitalization in the past year. First, DCR approved an application from Charlesgate
Alliance for matching funds to remove two nonstructural stone barrier walls, restoring sightlines and improving travel patterns within the park. Then, MassDOT announced that the bridge over the Massachusetts Turnpike will be replaced on an expedited timeline, giving a major boost to our plan for a more accessible connection at the southern end of the park. Revitalizing Charlesgate Park isn’t just about removing eyesores and adding benches. It’s about building people-friendly infrastructure where pedestrians and cyclists can travel, uninterrupted, from Franklin Park to Boston Common or along the Charles River to Cambridge, Newton or to points along Boston Harbor. It’s about daylighting the Muddy River instead of forcing it into underground culverts. More than anything, though, it’s about expanding Boston’s green acreage as we continue to build a people-friendly and resilient city in the face of our changing climate. It may seem like a fantasy when you look at the bare earth and concrete in the park today, but, as the chorus of support for this monumental opportunity grows in the neighborhood, city and Commonwealth, we get closer to reconnecting miles of parkland with one crucial link.
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Thank You to Our Supporters!
"A gift beyond compare, enriching our Boston lives every day." – Janet
Our deepest thanks to the individuals, foundations, corporations and government and institutional partners who contributed so generously to our pursuit of our mission to restore and improve the Emerald Necklace for all.
INDIVIDUAL DONORS $50,000+ Plimpton Shattuck Fund
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$25,000-$49,999 Brooke C. and John R. Cook E, L Barbara and Amos Hostetter E, L Kate and Ben Taylor E, L
$10,000-$24,999 Amy and David Abrams L Anita and Joshua Bekenstein E Thomas W. and Lisa A. Blumenthal E Ellie Cornish Chu and Brian Chu E, L Alexi and Steven Conine E, L RoAnn Costin L Victoria and David Croll L Sarah Freeman E, L Barbara Glauber E Marjorie and Nicholas Greville E, L Lisa and Mark Hastings E, L Seth A. and Beth S. Klarman E 14
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Sherry and Alan Leventhal L Elizabeth Clark Libert and Dan Sterner E, L The Caroline Loughlin Fund E Cynthia L. and John S. Reed E Louise C. Riemer E Holly Safford and Charles Weilbrenner L
$5,000-$9,999 Amy Auerbach and Leo F. Swift E Ann Beha and Robert A. Radloff E, L Lydia Cottrell L Lynn Dale and Frank Wisneski L Elizabeth de Montrichard L Adam and Claire Forkner E Valerie Jo and Mark Friedman L Martin Hall and Sarita Uribe E Serena W. Hatch E Bayard Henry E Christine Kondoleon and Frederic Wittmann E Karen Maloney E William and Lia Poorvu L Antoinette Russell and Louis Bailey E, L Rosmarie Scully E David Taylor E Camille Valentine L, O
$2,500-$4,999 Randall Albright and H. Parker James E, L Susan Baer and Michael Hill E Laura E. Baldini L Marygrace and Peter† Barber E Willa and Taylor Bodman E
Christine and Paul Cusick E, L Susan Helms Daley and Sean Daley E Joyce and William C. Fletcher E Julie Hume Gordon and Philip Gordon E, L Deb and Tom Hoffman E, L Jeannette Hsu L Meghan Jasani and Adam Margolin E Elizabeth B. and Edward C.† Johnson E Veronica Keaveney E Pamela Kohlberg and Curtis Greer E Lois and Stephen Kunian E Diane Lopez L Danielle Masciarelli L Carole E. Mathieson and John Iappini E, L Ann Merrifield and Wayne Davis E Barbara Millen E, L Kyle Miller L Lee Moreau and Ana Miljacki E, L Gerard and Brigitte Moufflet E, L Beth K. Pfeiffer† and John Foster E Susan and William Poduska E, L Margaret Reiser and Charles Cooney E, L John E. Rosenthal E Cynthia and Grant Schaumburg E Charles Uglietto L Catheline van den Branden E, L Kate Velásquez-Heller E Kate and Carroll M. Williamson E Pamela Willis L Anonymous E, L
$1,000-$2,499 Naomi Aberly and Larry Lebowitz E Camilla Russell Bennett and George B. Bennett E Katie Schuller Bleakie and J. Maxwell Bleakie L Deborah and David Brooks E Judith and Tom Bullitt E Peter and Abby Coffin E Emily Derr E, L Evelyn and Robert Doran E Kate Enroth E Karen and David Firestone E Atsuko and Lawrence Fish E Courtney and Michael Forrester L Danielle Frissell L Alexandra Fuchs L Anne and Sean Gavin E Diane Gipson E Joan and Alfred Goldberg E Perrin and Bruns Grayson E Sarah and Josh Greenhill E David Gross-Lah L Yogesh Gupta E John and Ann Hall E Jill A. Hornor and Yo-Yo Ma E Susan and James Hunnewell E Elizabeth L. Johnson E Barbara Jordan and Bob Pemberton E Carol Ann and Edwin M. Kania E Sabra Katz E, L Luciano Lauretti and Jane Roy L Elaine Mangum L Maura Marx E Karen Mauney-Brodek E, L Kathleen T. McIntyre L Colleen McKiernan E Tish and Stephen Mead E David Moir E
Daniel Moon L Glenn Murphy and Kathryn Cochrane Murphy E Paul Nazzaro L Robert O’Block E Mary and Theodore G. Papastavros E Molly Plimpton L Gene and Margaret S. Pokorny L Ellen Remmer and Christopher Fox E Ailene M. Robinson and Thomas E. Lewis E Patricia Roth E Jessica Rubenstein L Marie Louise and David Scudder E Gilda Slifka E Susan Sloan and Arthur D. Clarke E Marilyn Ray Smith and Charles Freifeld L Mark D. Smith E Sherley Smith and Frederic Gardner E Helen Strieder and Steve Crosby E Lisa Taffe L Judy and William H. Taft E Margaret Talcott and Scott Scharer E, L Joan and Nicholas† Thorndike E Carolina Trujillo L Ray Warburton E Robert and Amy Weinberg E Susan and William White E Christina Wood E Gwill York and Paul Maeder E, L Jill O. and Kyle Zick E
$500-$999 Mary and James Adelstein E Nolly Corley Austin O Sally and Eric Bacon E
Jane D. and Kenneth M. Barna E Elizabeth Benedict E Ken Berk E Amy Bernstein L Anita Berrizbeitia E Lisa Bevilaqua O Patricia and Lalor Burdick E Holly and Dan Burnes E Tad and Peggy Campion E Constance Cervone and Janet Deegan E Kate and Gerald Chertavian E John and Marlene Childs E Lawrence Coolidge E Cecily and John M. Cornish E Lynn and Bruce Dayton E Carol Deane E Janet DeBevoise L Barbara Delutis L Susan and Douglas A. Donahue E Kitty and Michael Dukakis E Brian Epstein E G. Douglas Evans and Don Eunson E Ian W. Evans E Moria Flynn L Carlene and Elmer Freeman E Janet Gelbart E Joseph Geller and Maria Benet E Maria and Daniel W. Gerrity E Lorna Gibson E Garth and Lindsay Greimann E Christian Halby and Susan Schaefer E Margery Hamlen and Joseph Hammer E Elizabeth and Whitney Hatch E Jerry Hausman E Diana Humphrey E Nina and Ogden Hunnewell E Jessalyn Jarest and Joe James E
Holly and Bruce Johnstone E Cheryl Jonas L Jennifer Kinsman L Lisa LeBlanc L Lucinda and David Lee E Michael Libert E Amy Linsky E Catherine and David MacKinnon E Betsy Ridge Madsen L Heather Schirmer Mahoney L Sharon and Brad Malt E Josie and Jonathan Marston L Carol J. Martignetti L Arlene and Hugh Mattison E, O Lee Maynard L Ann P. McCormick E Otile McManus and Robert Turner† E Judith and Robert Melzer E Beverly Merz E Laura Monrad E Sandra Moose E Janet E. Morehouse E Sara Muspratt E, L Deborah Norton and John J. Moynihan E Sofia Ostrer L Laura Gassner Otting L Richard Parritz L Robin Pelissier L Mark and Juliana Phillips E Denise Pied E Lisa Pierpont L Nan Porter and Matthew J. Kiefer E Lata Prabhakar E Michael Reiskind E, L Sylvia T. Richards-Gerngross E Elizabeth and Wilson Rickerson E Lucy and Richard Robb E Karen Rotenberg E Jessica Roy L Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report
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"The [Charlesgate] project will be transformative for the city by finally reconnecting Boston's park networks after being broken apart by highway-era projects for nearly seventy years." – Marie and Dan Adams, Charlesgate Park Revitalization Project architects
Jacqueline Royce E, L Kate Rushford E Roberta K. Schnoor E Sherri Schwaninger L Catherine Scifres L Mason Smith L Ellen Smolka and Thomas Wolf E Mary and David Smoyer E Steve and Carol Spinelli E Lee Sprague L Jep Streit and Susan Knight E Remy Stressenger L Barbara Tagaris-Alavi E Linda E. Turner E, O Christine G. Tuttle L Rosamond and Sven Vaule E Regina J. Winslow L Kelsey Wirth E Jessica Wolfe E Sara Wragge E Candace Young E Robert Zaret E Wendy Zazik E Anonymous E
$100-$499 Katherine F. Abbott E Ellen Abdow E Roberta and Guilliaem Aertsen E Lawson and Lars Albright E Angela M. Allen E David W. Allen E Sarah and Tim Allen E Margarita Altamirano E Kathleen and Charles Ames E Rick Ames E Lorrie R. Anderson and Conant Brewer E Patrick Anquetil E John and Dorothy Aram E 16
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Susan Ashbrook and Fritz Casselman E Lucy Axtell and John G. Porter E Rebecca Bachand E Katie Bacon E Sandra and John Baehrend E John F. Bailey L Rachel Bakish E Cynthia Barakatt E Kay Barned-Smith and John Smith E Margaret Barrett E Kevin Batt E Anne Shattuck Bailey E Pam Beale L Kimberley A. Beaudet E David Beck and Gregory van Boven E Robert Brown and Elaine Beilin L Jill and Erik Berg E Nina Berger E Jane Bernstein E Mel and Kathie Bernstein E Carol Blair E Katharine Boden and Michael Lane E Susie Bonakdarpour L Jared Bowen E Da’aga Hill H. Bowman E Julie Brandlen E William and Nan Braucher E Richard Breed III E Catherine V. Brigham E Helene C. Brodette E Constance Brown L Cornelia Brown and Henry Warren E Julianna Bruce E Danny Burgess E Kate and Paul Buttenwieser E James Buttrick E Pauline H. Bynum E Mario Cabodi E David R. Campbell E
Sara Campbell and Ken Maloney E Ronni and Ronald Casty E Jon and Andrea Clardy E Chris Clark E James Clark E Susan Clippinger E Cohan Family Charitable Giving Fund E Ann Lee Collins E Anne Connolly E Elaine Conveney and Robert E. Dynes E Christopher Cook E Ann Corcoran E Claire Corcoran E Anne Cowie E Diddy and John Cullinane L Stephen Curwood E Stanley E. Cushing E Jeremy Cushman E David D’Amico E Paul W. Dansereau and Julie A. Miller E Robert Daves E Jennifer Deberardinis L Jane C. Deery L Charles Deknatel E John DeVillars E Wendy DeWolf E Samran Dhital and Alev Saurav E Norma I. Dinnall and James S. Hoyte E Jean Doherty E Jody Dow E Stacey J. Drubner E David Duncan E Aaron Dy E Rebecca Eaton and Steven Ashley E Bruce Ehrlich E Gayle and Michael Epp E Elizabeth S. Eustis E
Florence L. Everett E Susan Fahmy E Elsbeth and Alfred Falk E Peter G. Fallon, Jr. E Nicholas Federoff E Elisabeth Fine E Amy Finsilver L Frances Shedd Fisher E Anne Fitzpatrick E Anne Fleche E Charlotte Fleetwood E Paul Fletcher E Sarah and Charles L. Forbes E Douglas and Paula Foy E Rosemary Foy L Carolyn Fine Friedman and Jerry Friedman E Elizabeth P. Frost and Paul Zintl E Brian Gacioch E Rumman Gaffur E Gloria and Peter Gammons E Erik Gehring E Nancy Gertner E Katherine and Philip Getchell E Carol Gladstone E Steve Glick and Julia Clarkson E Susan and Bruce Gold E Ellen Goodman and Robert Levey† L Jason Goodyear E Michael Gorman E Maria Gough E Mary Greer E John Growdon E Melanie Guerra E Simone Habermeyer L Christopher and Wendy Hale E Susan and Bruce Hampton E Jane Hans E Thomas Harrison E Anne B. Hartnett E
Biz M. Haselwandter L Julie Hatfield and Tim Leland E Candace Haydock E Carol Head E Janice Henderson and Gerard Burke E Trevania and John Henderson E Fred C. Hennie E Patricia Herzog and Norman Janis E Mary A. Hickie and Esther A. Kohn E Michelle Hicks L Katherine Hope E Frederic Hoppin E May K. Houghton E William and Karen Huff E Heidi W. Hughey E Walter and Clarissa Hunnewell, Jr. E Elizabeth and J. Atwood Ives E Florrie S. and Joel Ives E Martha Jackson E Alison Poorvu Jaffe and Dan Jaffe E Sarah Jarvis E Sarah B. Jolliffe E Liza Jones L T. Stephen Jones E Barbara Joyce and Daniel J. Moulton E William and Phyllis Kantor E Martha Karchere and Luis Prado E Julie Kaufmann and Geoffrey Modest E Helen and Nicholas Kelley E Thomas and Joanna Kennedy E Charles Kenney E Cameron Kerry and Kathy Weinman E Vanessa Kirsch and Alan Khazei E Edwina Klünder E Lisa Koch and David Rohrlich E Lynne Kortenhaus L
Jean G. Krasnow E Robert Kretschmar E Anthony Lacina E Carol Lammers E Theodore C. Landsmark E Peik and Judith Larsen E Debby Lawrence and Edward W. Grandin E Robert Lawrence E Susan H. and David Lawrence E J. Kevin Leary E Karen LeDuc E Henry Lee E Sarah Leggat E Kate and Anthony H. Leness E James Lerner E Leonard Levin E Meira Levinson and Marc Lipsitch E Vivien Li L Benjamin Liebtag E Barbara H. Lloyd E Karen Loane E Andrea Loew E Kerry Loughman and Kalman Zabarsky E Amy Lowe E Lisel and Mark Macenka E Beth Mahar E Jean Mallon E Martine Mangion L Virginia and Keith Marcotte E Helen Marston E John Martin E Kaki Martin E Kumi and William Martin E Rachel and Joseph Martin E Arthur and Joanne Massaro E Margaret Ann Mauney E Susan and Robert Mayer E William S. and Hope C. McDermott E
James and Katherine McHugh E Gloria McMahon E Pamela Messenger E, L Bunny Boyce Meyer E Pamela Micozzi E Lindsay Miller E Margo Miller E Sally and John A. Miller E Christopher and Catherine Milton E Kyra Montagu E Susan and Stephen Moorhead E Tyler Moulton E Amy Mullen E Regina M. Mullen E Betsy and John Munzer E Ronald Murphy E Sherif A. and Mary B. Nada E Melody Nash E Beatrice and Peter Nessen E Helen P. Netos and William E. Erdman E Wendy Nicholas and James Dorsey E Elizabeth Nichols and George Lee L John and Marjorie Nickles E Mary Violette and Herb Nolan E Paul Odelson L James F. O’Donnell E Robert Oppenheim E Linda Sharp Paine and Thomas M. Paine E Dean Papademetriou E Lindsey W. and Robert Parker E Pell Family Fund E Elisabeth T. Peterson E Charlotte and John Phillips E May H. Pierce E Antonia M. Pollak E Janis Porter and Stephen Naber E Frances G. and Harold I. Pratt E Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report
17
Kathleen and David Prendergast E Marion E. and William J. Pressley L, O Emily Procknal E Kathy Z. and George Putnam E Wallis and Daniel Raemer E Kate Raisz E Christopher S. and Elizabeth R. Reece L Lois and Quentin Regestein E Hanson Reynolds E Erinn Rhodes E Meghan Rich L Nancy B. Riegel E Donna Robinson E JoAnn Robinson E Christina Rockrise E Elizabeth B. Rogers E Eneida Roman L Daniel L. Romanow and B. Andrew Zelermyer E Tina and E. Davis Rowley, Jr. E Ethan Royce E William and Karlen Ruth E Victoria and Weston Saltonstall E Susan Sargent and Tom Peters E Joan Sarles E Judy Saryan and Victor V. Zarougian E Sharon Scaramozza E Rosemary and Edward Schantz E Tina and Paul A. Schmid E Dan Schwarz E Jeff Schwotzer E Karen M. Seelig E Madeline Segal and Abbott Reichlin E Polly and Dennis J. Selkoe E Peg and Stephen Senturia E Anne Serrell E Robert N. Shapiro E 18
parks. people. policy.
Jessica Shattuck and Preble Jaques E Virginia C. Shea O Michael Shinagel E Elizabeth Silberholz E Eric Sillman and Rebecca Locke E Helaine A. Simmonds E Robert and Tamara Sitkoff E Kevin Smith E Diane Sokal E Alexander Southall E Marvin Sparrow E Kathy Spiegelman and Robert Zverina E Vivian and Lionel B. Spiro E Peter Steiger E Howard and Fredericka Stevenson E Janetta Stringfellow E Margot S. Strom E Nancy C. and Byron Stutzman E Amalia Tagaris L Betsy Tarlin E Heather Tarter L Carolyn Thomas E Rose and David Thorne E Mona Tohamy and Eric Hansen E Sidney Topol E Sarah Bucknell Treco E Veronika Trufanova E Ms. Janice Vanselow E Fredericka Veikley and Edward J. Burke E Martha Vicinus E Alison and Christopher Viehbacher E Maureen von Zweck E Andrew Voudouris E Angela Wacek E Anne Wallace E Neil Wallace E Susan Walling E
Janet Washington E Caitlin and Clint Weaver E William Weaver E Amy Weed L Amy and Ed Wertheim E Amy Whitesides L Leslie R. Will E Jane Willis and Richard Davey L Steven J. Wolf E Ryan Woods E Beth A. Worell and Joe F. Pryse E Gerald Wright E Julia T. Yang E Simon Yeo E Doris E. Youngman E Jess Zimbabwe E Jerry and Linda Zindler E Anonymous (5) E
FOUNDATION, CORPORATE AND INSTITUTIONAL DONORS $100,000+ City of Boston E, C Anonymous E
$50,000-$99,999 Elizabeth Taylor Fessenden Foundation E High Meadows Foundation E Samuels & Associates E, L
$25,000-$49,999 Edwin S. Webster Foundation E Merck Foundation E Wilmington Trust L
$10,000-$24,999 Brookline Community Foundation E Brown Advisory L The Charlotte Foundation E Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation E Highland Partners Charitable Fund E The John and Sonia Lingos Family Foundation E, L Klünder Communications L The Lawrence & Lillian Solomon Foundation E, L Massachusetts Energy Marketers Association E, L Northeastern University E
$5,000-$9,999 The Albright Foundation Trust E Bartlett Tree Experts E Boston Planning and Development Agency E Cervone Deegan + Associates E, L Charter E Focus Real Estate E KBK Foundation E PEAK Event Services L Red Sox Foundation E REI E Ropes Wealth Advisors LLC L Winston Flowers L
$2,500-$4,999 Blue Cross Blue Shield E Fenway Civic Association E Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, Boston L Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site N
Harvard University E Lovett-Woodsum Foundation E Mandarin Oriental, Boston L MASCO E Novartis E Phineas W. Sprague Memorial Foundation E Sasaki Foundation E Stoss Landscape Urbanism E
$1,000-$2,499 Agency E The Boston Conservatory at Berklee E The Boston Foundation L Boston Red Sox E, L Brookline GreenSpace Alliance, Inc E Business Consulting Group L Charlesgate Alliance E The Edmund & Betsy Cabot Charitable Foundation E First Republic Bank E Four Seasons Hotel L Franklin Park Zoo | Zoo New England E, L Friends of the Curley House E The Garden Club of the Back Bay, Inc. E Harvard Medical School E Kyle Zick Landscape Architecture E Liberty Mutual E Mad River Foundation E The Newbury Boston L Noanett Garden Club E OJB Landscape Architecture E The Paul and Edith Babson Foundation E Point32 Health Foundation E Reed Hilderbrand LLC E Saks Fifth Avenue L
Sinesia Karol LLC L Tufts University E Van Cleef & Arpels E Weston & Sampson E Anonymous (2) E, L
$500-$999 AVFX, Inc.L Boston Harbor Hotel L Cheryl Richards Photography L Citizens Bank E Friends of the Muddy River E Meredith Lane Aeschetics L NARA PAZ Design Internationale L Purcell Agency L Rubblestone Foundation E Tory Burch L Anonymous (2) E
$100-$499 Alchemy Foundation E AmazonSmile Foundation E Arborway Coalition E Boston Bruins L Boston Symphony Orchestra L The Catered Affair L The Chilton Club E Cohasset Garden Club E East Boston Savings Bank E Fenway Garden Society, Inc. E,O The Gardens Trust E JP Morgan Chase & Co E Julia Ballentine Fine Jewelry L Kravet Inc. L Maple Hurst Builders E Method by Katie Breard L New England Revolution L Operation Peace Boston E Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe E
Park Watershed E Perennial Planters Garden Club E Personal Chef Kyle McClelland L Punch Bowl E Seeds & Weeds Garden Club of Concord E Tighe & Bond, Inc. E Walking Stick Family Fund E Welli Bins Co. L WorldBoston E Anonymous (4) E
KEY Donor list reflects donations between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021. E L N O
†
Emerald Fund Donor Liff Fund Donor Olmsted Now Donor Olmsted Tree Society Donor Deceased
We have done our best to accurately list our donors. Please accept our sincere apologies for any errors or omissions and contact us at 617.522.2700 to help us correct our records. Thank you.
"Nothing has so consistently lifted my spirits like the Emerald Necklace!" – Sally
Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report
19
Financial Summary
Fiscal Year 2021
REVENUE Gifts and Grants Olmsted Tree Society Justine Mee Liff Fund—Cocktails in the Park
NET ASSETS 1,579,271 3,770
Operating Funds
709,174 523,305
342,765
Olmsted Tree Society
51,122
1,925,806
Shattuck Endowment
960,159
Investments & Other Income
1,173,812
Justine Mee Liff Fund
4,316,714
Fiscal Sponsor Income
250,898
Other Restricted
1,232,991
Paycheck Protection Program
154,000
Total Grants and Contributions
Total Revenue
$3,504,516
EXPENSES Projects / Events
Education & Youth Programs
168,736
Park Events and Visitor Center
342,105
Maintenance, Restoration & Volunteers
615,433
Olmsted Tree Society Tree Management Program
544,086
Justine Mee Liff Fund—Cocktails in the Park Total Programs / Projects / Events
155,753 $1,826,113
Program Support
Fundraising
412,219
Administration
471,351
Total Program Support Total Expenses
20
Fixed Assets
parks. people. policy.
$883,570 $2,709,683
Total Net Assets
$7,793,465
This is a non-audited financial summary for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. The independent auditor’s report, including financial statements, is available on the Conservancy’s website at emeraldnecklace.org/about-us.
Board of Directors 10/2020-9/2021
Benjamin Taylor, Chair John R. Cook, Jr., Vice Chair Martin Hall, Treasurer Susan Helms Daley, Clerk Louis Bailey Peter Barber† Sonya Bhabhalia Constance Cervone Ellie Cornish Chu James Cornell Christine Cusick Chris DeSisto Courtney Forrester Sarah Freeman Julie Hume Gordon Marjorie Greville Lisa Hastings Lois R. Kunian Ted Landsmark Sofia Lingos-Papaliodis Barbara Millen Lee Moreau JoAnn Robinson, Chair, Park Advisors Peter Sougarides Leo Swift Linda Edmonds Turner Kate Velásquez-Heller Carroll Williamson
Life Trustees
Michael Dukakis Wendy Shattuck
Board of Park Advisors 10/2020-9/2021
Arboretum Park Conservancy Arborway Coalition Arnold Arboretum Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America Boston Society of Landscape Architects Brookline GreenSpace Alliance Charlesgate Alliance Emerald Necklace Greenway Project The Fenway Alliance Fenway Civic Association Fenway CDC Fenway Garden Society Franklin Park Coalition Franklin Park Zoo | Zoo New England Friends of the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit Friends of Jamaica Pond Friends of Leverett Pond Friends of the Muddy River Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Jamaica Hills Association Jamaica Pond Association MASCO Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
2021 Cocktails in the Park Co-Chairs Lydia Cottrell Molly Plimpton Holly Safford
Docents
Susan Helms Daley Karen D’Amato Don Eunson Stan Everett Dianne Gorman Michael Leidig Dan Moulton Lucy Robb Rachel Strauss Nancy Stutzman Betsy Tarlin
Staff
10/2020-9/2021
Adam Banks Declan Battles Julia Damiano Erica Holm Kent Jackson Karen Mauney-Brodek Jamie Santuccio John Smith Briana Thomas Veronika Trufanova
Term Staff 10/2020-9/2021
Alyx Britton Joelle Boyle Maria Ferreira August Horning Tess O’Day Margaret Renou † Deceased
Emerald Leaders
Nicolas Cusi Alyssa Freeman Sidney Hare Zachary Houghton Rich Stroshane
Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report
21
Emerald Necklace Conservancy Mailing Address: 350 Jamaicaway, Boston, MA 02130 | Shattuck Visitor Center: 125 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115
emeraldnecklace.org | 617.522.2700 22
parks. people. policy.