The Emerald Necklace Conservancy

Brookline Juneteenth Block Party
2025-06-19 12:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Florida Ruffin Ridley School, 345 Harvard St, Brookline, MA, 02446
This year’s theme is The Freedom Frontier — a celebration honoring the trailblazers of the first Juneteenth celebrations in Texas, and the legacy of Black cowboys and cowgirls who paved the way!

Get ready for a day packed with:

FREE Food FREE Music Line Dancing Giant Waterslides AND our newest special guest… A MECHANICAL BULL!

Last year was incredible — but this year is going to be even BIGGER! You don’t want to miss it.

Learn More and Register

Juneteenth
2025-06-19

Tuesdays with Roses
2025-06-17 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-06-10 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-06-03 17:30 - 19:30 | Kelleher Rose Garden, Back Bay Fens, Boston, MA, 02115
Join Emerald Necklace Conservancy staff and volunteers in the Kelleher Rose Garden to deadhead and prune roses and to weed the rose beds and borders. Training and tools are provided.
Registration is required in order to participate. Those who register will automatically receive an email with further details, including the necessary waiver to sign and specific information on where to meet and what to expect on the day of the event.
Please email volunteer@emeraldnecklace.org with inquiries on this event or other volunteer opportunities.
Register below. If the form does not load, try opening this page in an incognito/private browsing window.

Walk the Waterways Tour
2025-06-15 10:00 - 12:00 | Jamaica Pond Boathouse, 507 Jamaicaway, Boston, Massachusetts, 02130
Offered by the Boston Park Rangers
Come along with the Boston Park Rangers as they traverse the Muddy River through the Emerald Necklace. Our journey will begin at the headwaters of the Muddy River at the Jamaica Pond Boathouse and will continue through the Emerald Necklace, ending in the Back Bay Fens. Discover the groundbreaking vision that the designer of NYC’s Central Park and the father of American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, had for Boston’s Park System while strolling through 4 different parks on this 4-mile walk.
Learn more at the City of Boston website.

Celebrate Father's Day at Zoo New England
2025-06-15 09:00 - 18:00 | Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Road, Boston, MA, 02121, United States
On Father’s Day, June 15, admission at the Franklin Park Zoo is free for everyone courtesy of Highland Street Foundation!
Advance registration required through Highland Street Foundation. Tickets distributed on first come first serve basis. Limit 5 spots per registrant.
Learn more and register at the Zoo New England website.

Second Saturdays: Volunteer Stewardship at Jamaica Pond
2025-06-14 10:00 - 12:00 | James Michael Curley House, 350 Jamaicaway, Boston, MA, 02130, United States
Join Emerald Necklace Conservancy staff and volunteers with land stewardship work in the Emerald Necklace parks on Saturday, June 14! This month, we will be working at Jamaica Pond.
Registration is required in order to participate in this event. Those who register will automatically receive an email with further details, including the necessary waivers to sign and specific information on where to meet and what to expect on the day of the event.
Please email volunteer@emeraldnecklace.org with inquiries on this event or other volunteer opportunities.
Register below; if the signup form does not load, try opening this page in an incognito/private browsing window:

Parks Fitness: Walking Group with Brandy
2025-06-07 08:00 - 09:00 | Franklin Park Golf Clubhouse, 1 Circuit Drive, Dorchester, MA, United States
Participate in FREE fitness classes offered by one of the City of Boston’s certified instructors! Classes are a partnership between the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the Boston Public Health Commission. The series is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
Learn more and register here.

Tour: The Past and Future of Franklin Park
2025-06-13 17:30 | “Giraffe” Entrance at the Franklin Park Zoo
Join the Boston Preservation Alliance Young Advisors, in partnership with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Franklin Park Defenders, and historian Ethan Carr, for a walking tour of Franklin Park, Boston’s largest public park and a beloved site for community celebration, recreation, and urban respite.
Today, Franklin Park and its surrounding communities are presented with renewed opportunity but also face major threats, many of which echo the same official neglect and disregard that defined the twentieth century. This walking tour will explore the park’s history, its relationship to the adjacent communities of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain, and the present-day challenges that threaten its continued role as a beloved community space.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE

JP Jitterbugs Midsummer Dance
2025-06-13 16:00 - 20:30 | Jamaica Pond Boathouse, 507 Jamaicaway, Boston, Massachusetts, 02130
The summer solstice is almost here and Annie and the Fur Trappers are playing at Jamaica Pond on June 15!
4pm-5pm Beginner lesson5pm-6pm Break for setup and sound check6pm-sunset (8:23pm) Dancing!

Learn more on the JP Jitterbugs Facebook page

Fenway Civic Association Annual Picnic
2025-06-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Kelleher Rose Garden, Back Bay Fens, Boston, MA, 02115
Join the Fenway Civic Association for their annual picnic supper in the Kelleher Rose Garden, featuring refreshments, live entertainment by The Bagboys, and a chance to meet your neighbors and friends! Bring your own picnic supper, or enjoy refreshments courtesy of Samuels & Associates, Cisco Brewers and Fenway Star Market. This event is free, and everyone is welcome!

Tour: Historic Treasures of the Back Bay Fens
2025-06-08 13:00 - 14:30 | Shattuck Visitor Center, 125 The Fenway, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
What do a 17th-century Japanese Temple Bell, a bridge made of Roxbury puddingstone, and a tree once thought extinct have in common? They all reside in the Back Bay Fens. Learn about these and other treasures on a guided walking tour of the Back Bay Fens that is sure to bring out the history detective in you!
Registration required: sign up below! If the registration form does not load, try opening this page in an incognito/private browsing window.

President's Walking Tour of the Emerald Necklace
2025-06-07 09:00 | Refectory Hill, Franklin Park, 1 Circuit Drive, Boston, Massachusetts, 02124
Lace up your walking shoes for our annual walk of Boston’s largest park system! This 6-mile urban hike takes walkers from Franklin Park in Dorchester to the mouth of the Muddy River in Charlesgate Park, led by Conservancy President Karen Mauney-Brodek.
Take in the sights, sounds and the sheer scale of the Emerald Necklace on this special walk. We will make brief stops along the way to take in the scenery and learn about this historic parkland and the Conservancy’s current work to restore, maintain and improve these greenspaces while championing better parks access for all.
(Rain date: Sunday, June 8)
Registration is required; sign up below.
If the registration form does not load, try opening this page in an incognito/private browsing window.

Charlesgate Tree Dedication
2025-06-05 15:00 - 17:00 | “The Grove” at Charlesgate Park, 4 Charlesgate East, Boston, MA, 02115
Join the Charlesgate Alliance for a celebration in Charlesgate Park, commemorating the planting of 14 new trees in the park!

Rain date: Friday, June 6 at 3:00PM

Horse-of-Course
2025-06-05 11:00 - 11:45 | Daisy Field, Olmsted Park, Boston, MA, 02130
Join the Boston Park Rangers as they offer FREE environmental education through guided tours and nature-based programming intended for all ages!
Come along as the Boston Park Rangers introduce you to one of their equine partners. Spend 30 minutes exploring how we feed, groom, and tack up our mounts as they get ready for patrol in Boston’s parks.
Learn more at the City of Boston website.

Brookline Spring Fest
2025-05-31 11:00 - 14:00 | Allerton Overlook, Olmsted Park, Brookline, MA, United States
Join Brookline DPW at their fourth-annual Spring Fest on Saturday, May 31 from 11 AM to 2 PM at Olmsted Park’s Allerton Overlook. Spring Fest 2025 is a call for environmental action and we urge you to join us as we “Spring into Climate Action” Learn about the exciting community work that’s being done by our partners such as Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Brookline GreenSpace Alliance, Brookline Mothers Out Front, Brookline Rotary Club, and many others! The event will include environmental education activities, yard games, crafting stations, a tree ID walk, food, and music.
Learn More

Memorial Day
2019-05-27
In observation of the holiday, Conservancy offices at the Shattuck Visitor Center are closed.

Memorial Day
2025-05-26

Party in the Park 2025
2025-05-14 12:00 - 15:00 | Pinebank Promontory at Jamaica Pond, Jamaica Pond, Boston, MA, United States
We are thrilled to welcome you back to the Party in the Park Luncheon on May 15, 2025!
Sponsor Party in the Park today!
Explore sponsorship benefits here.

Second Saturdays: Volunteer Stewardship in the Back Bay Fens
2025-05-10 10:00 - 12:00 | Shattuck Visitor Center, 125 The Fenway, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Join Emerald Necklace Conservancy staff and volunteers with land stewardship work in the Emerald Necklace parks on Saturday, May 10! This month, we will be working in the Back Bay Fens.
Registration is required in order to participate in this event. Those who register will automatically receive an email with further details, including the necessary waivers to sign and specific information on where to meet and what to expect on the day of the event.
Please email volunteer@emeraldnecklace.org with inquiries on this event or other volunteer opportunities.
Register below; if the signup form does not load, try opening this page in an incognito/private browsing window:

Franklin Park and White Stadium: Community Impact Discussion
2025-05-06 18:30 - 20:30 | Lena Park Community Center, 150 American Legion Highway, Dorchester, MA, 02124, United States
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:
How will the professional sports and entertainment complex proposed for the White Stadium site impact you? Join the greater Franklin Park community to discuss:

The updated transportation plan for the stadium and the surrounding residential area
The Superior Court’s ruling on public park protections
Opportunities for a fully-public and less costly venue for Boston’s student-athletes

RSVP using the form below:

Useful Plant Walk
2025-05-03 13:00 - 14:30 | Franklin Park, Boston
There are helpful and even edible plants all around us, especially in springtime. Learn how to identify and use helpful plants that grow in the wild on a leisurely stroll along the Emerald Necklace with Pam Kristan, author and wild food practitioner. Find out what is growing, where, when, which parts are edible or useful for other purposes, and preparation techniques.

Note: This event is for educational purposes only, no plants will be harvested or eaten. Ages 8 and up.
Registration required; sign up below:

2025 Muddy River Cleanup
2025-04-26 10:00 - 12:00
We hope you will join us for this year’s Muddy River Cleanup!
The Muddy River Cleanup is a part of the Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup; this event takes place throughout the Charles River Watershed and builds on a national effort as part of American Rivers’ National River Cleanup® which, to date, has removed over 25 million pounds of trash from America’s waterways. From 2016 to 2019, the Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup was recognized by American Rivers for the Most Pounds of Trash Collected and Most Volunteers Mobilized.​
The Charles River Cleanup brings together over 3,000 volunteers each year to pick up litter, remove invasive species and assist with park maintenance along all 80 miles of the Charles River. Residents are drawn to the popular Charles River Cleanup from a desire to give back to their community while enjoying the beauty and wildlife along the river. Volunteers hold onto the connections they establish during this day of stewardship by returning to the Charles to exercise, play and enjoy nature throughout the year.
To lean more and register for the cleanup, click here

Bilingual Wildlife Conservation Adventure
2025-04-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Shattuck Picnic Grove, Circuit Drive, Boston, 02124
[Due to inclement weather, this event has been postponed to Friday, April 25]
Join us for an exciting, hands-on learning experience where young explorers will dive into the world of wildlife conservation and ecosystems! Through storytelling, movement, and park exploration, children will discover how animals rely on their environment and how changes—both big and small—impact nature.
Space is limited, register below:
¡Únase a nosotros para una emocionante experiencia de aprendizaje práctico donde los jóvenes exploradores se meterán de lleno en el mundo de la conservación de la vida silvestre y los ecosistemas! A través de la narración de cuentos, el movimiento y la exploración del parque, los niños descubrirán cómo los animales dependen de su entorno y cómo los cambios— tanto grandes como pequeños— afectan a la naturaleza.
Espacio es limitado, registrarse aquí:

CANCELED: Arbor Day Volunteer Tree Planting 2025
2025-04-25 09:00 - 13:00 | Refectory Hill, Franklin Park, 1 Circuit Drive, Boston, Massachusetts, 02124
NOTE: Due to last-minute logistical concerns, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this event. Every effort was made to keep it, and we apologize for the inconvenience. Please check our calendar for other upcoming volunteer opportunities.
Original text below:
Join Emerald Necklace Conservancy staff and volunteers as we celebrate Arbor Day with the planting of new trees in Franklin Park! Learn more about previous Arbor Day plantings here.
Registration is required in order to participate in this event. Those who register will automatically receive an email with further details, including the necessary waivers to sign and specific information on where to meet and what to expect on the day of the event.
Please email volunteer@emeraldnecklace.org with inquiries on this event or other volunteer opportunities.
Note: this form is for registering to assist in tree planting. To RSVP to the Arbor Day Celebration happening at the same location, click here.

Earth Day Celebration
2025-04-22 15:00 - 19:00 | Punch Bowl, 700 Brookline Ave, Brookline, MA, 02446, United States
This Earth Day, join us for a special event supporting your local parks!
On Tuesday, April 22, we will be holding an Earth Day fundraiser from 3:00-7:00PM at Punch Bowl in Brookline, overlooking Olmsted Park and Leverett Pond. We hope you’ll stop by, buy some food or drinks, and join us for a toast to the greenspaces that clean our air and cool our streets—10% of all proceeds from your purchases will support the Conservancy’s work stewarding and protecting the Emerald Necklace in Boston and Brookline.
Can’t make it on the 22nd? Throughout Earth Week (April 20-26), 30% of all sales from Punch Bowl’s Emerald Necklace-themed cocktail, The Green Girdle, will support our work! Stop by for dinner or a drink and support park stewardship with every sip!

Patriots' Day
2025-04-21

Patriots' Day
2019-04-15
