Discover one of Boston's forested gems on this slow-paced guided therapeutic combination of leisurely walking, sitting, and observation. This is a chance to unplug, slow down, and de-stress through a series of gentle sensory-opening invitations that welcome us to deepen our connection with nature.
Help implement a comprehensive woodlands management program and promote a healthier forest through activities ranging from removing invasive plant species to conditioning forest soil. Pre-registration required.
Held every year on the Saturday after Mother’s Day, the festival brings out more than 1,000 people to fly kites, ride bikes, learn to ride a bike, and picnic. With food trucks, kids’ bikes to “rent” for free, affordable kites for sale, bike mechanics on site, and the beautiful scenery of Franklin Park, this event is not to be missed!
Learn about the beloved trees of the Emerald Necklace: their bark, leaves and the habitat they provide for other creatures, and participate in a leaf tracing craft activity with leaves you’ve found.
Volunteer to help care for the roses. Training, tools and gloves supplied. Pre-registration required.
Summer blooms, scented gardens, and a leisurely stroll all combine to make this one-hour guided walk the perfect antidote to the workday!
Led by an Emerald Necklace Conservancy docent, this tour will traverse the footprint of the restored Muddy River in the Back Bay Fens. You’ll learn about the project that brought portions of the Muddy River above ground and hear the remarkable story of how a piece of Olmsted’s landscape was reclaimed as parkland after spending decades paved over and used as a parking lot.
Music everywhere, porches optional. Porchfest is an afternoon of free music performed outside of people’s homes and in other public spaces. The first ever Fenway Porchfest will take on Saturday, June 16th, from 12 – 4 PM. All musicians, professionals, amateurs, and everything in between, perform voluntarily at a designated time and location.
Learn the characteristics of the 15 most common birds of the Emerald Necklace parks and Boston neighborhoods. Use your personal field guide (supplied) to complete a scavenger hunt and track your bird-spotting skills.
From foul muddy flats to the parkland of today, the Fens has undergone many transformations in the last 125 years. Join Emerald Necklace docents as they talk and walk the historic landscape. Stops include the Kelleher Rose Garden, with its 1,500+ roses and reconstructed fountain and the oldest WWII Victory Gardens in America.
