The Emerald Necklace Conservancy

Second Saturdays: Volunteer Stewardship in Franklin Park
2024-09-14 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Valley Gates Parking Lot, Boston, MA, United States
Join Emerald Necklace Conservancy staff and volunteers with land stewardship work in the Emerald Necklace parks on Saturday, September 14! This month, we will be working in Franklin Park.
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:

Save White Stadium and Franklin Park Community Standout
2024-09-11 17:00 - 18:30 | Walnut Ave @ Seaver Street
Join us as we stand together to protect our beloved community spaces from privatization! Make your voice heard alongside the Franklin Park Defenders, and help preserve vital public areas like Franklin Park for future generations. Enjoy speeches from local leaders and community activists who share our passion for safeguarding Franklin Park and White Stadium, and bring friends, family and signs to show your support for keeping our park accessible to everyone!
RSVP HERE

Tuesdays with Roses
2024-09-10 17:30 - 19:30, 2024-08-27 17:30 - 19:30, 2024-08-20 17:30 - 19:30, 2024-08-13 17:30 - 19:30, 2024-08-06 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:

National Honey Bee Month Celebration
2024-09-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Back Bay Fens, 100 Park Drive, Boston, MA, 02215, United States
Celebrate all the hard work of bees in the Emerald Necklace! Come see live bees in a Classroom Hives observation hive and tickle your taste buds with a honey taste test. The Back Bay Fens will become the backdrop for family fun at the Shattuck Visitor Center, Kelleher Rose Garden, Fenway Victory Gardens and more!
Pre-registration encouraged, sign up below.

Call for Volunteers: National Honeybee Month Celebration
2024-09-07 09:30 - 12:30 | Shattuck Visitor Center, 125 The Fenway, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Volunteers are needed for the Conservancy’s National Honey Bee Month Celebration in partnership with Classroom Hives! We need your help with setting up, facilitating games, welcoming park visitors and cleaning up after the event.
Learn more about the event here, and register to volunteer below:

Alianza Park Series: Franklin Park
2024-08-28 - 2024-09-08 | Franklin Park Playstead, Circuit Drive, Boston, MA, 02121, United States
Roundhead Brewing Company and Fresh Food Generation announce Alianza Park Series, a first-of-its-kind mobile beer garden and hospitality series coming to neighborhood parks across the City of Boston! Alianza Park Series combines a menu of small-batch brews from the Latino-owned Roundhead Brewing Company and farm-to-plate Caribbean American eats from Fresh Food Generation. Alianza (“Alliance”) speaks to the business partnership, and invites attendees to travel and build community across Boston neighborhoods.
See below for the schedule for this edition of Alianza Park Series, taking place in the Franklin Park Playstead!
Wednesday, August 28: 4:00-9:00PM
Thursday, August 29: 4:00-9:00PM
Friday, August 30: 12:00-9:00PM
Saturday, August 31: 12:00-9:00PM
Sunday, September 1: 12:00-6:00PM
Wednesday, September 4: 4:00-9:00PM
Thursday, September 5: 4:00-9:00PM
Friday, September 6: 12:00-9:00PM
Saturday, September 7: 12:00-9:00PM
Sunday, September 8: 12:00-6:00PM

Tour: Exploring Olmsted Park and Jamaica Pond
2025-07-27 11:00 - 12:30 | Downes Field Parking Lot, Pond Ave, Brookline, MA, 02445
Join us for a tour in partnership with the Jamaica Plain Historical Society! Discover the wooded paths, babbling brooks and rolling hills of Olmsted Park and Pinebank, the forested midway point of Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace and source of the Muddy River.
This tour will guide attendees through many of the natural and historic landmarks found in the heart of the Necklace: from glacial ponds to structures that once belonged to the Founding Fathers, and everything in-between!
Registration required; sign up below:

Tour: Exploring Olmsted Park and Jamaica Pond
2024-08-25 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-07-21 10:00 - 11:30 | Downes Field Parking Lot, Pond Ave, Brookline, MA, 02445
Join us for a new tour in partnership with the Jamaica Plain Historical Society! Discover the wooded paths, babbling brooks and rolling hills of Olmsted Park and Pinebank, the forested midway point of Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace and source of the Muddy River.
This tour will guide attendees through many of the natural and historic landmarks found in the heart of the Necklace: from glacial ponds to structures that once belonged to the Founding Fathers, and everything in-between!
Registration required; sign up below:

JP Porchfest
2024-08-24 12:00 - 18:00 | Jamaica Pond Boathouse, 507 Jamaicaway, Boston, Massachusetts, 02130
JP Porchfest has been a pillar to the JP community since 2014, bringing together performers and local neighbors for a day of music, dance, theatre and more on porches throughout JP’s central streets.
Performer Lineup:
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Daisy Quartet – Classical, Folk, and more
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: SXR GRIPP – Rapper
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Naveah – R&B/Soul, Singer-Songwriter
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Community Hour – Cultural Agora/ Mi Salsa – Salsa Lesson w/ DJ Rozey
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Zion Rodman – Singer-Songwriter
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Honk – Brass Band
JP Porchfest is organized by Dunamis Boston.
The Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s collaboration and support of JP Porchfest is made possible by Verizon.

Birds of Prey Presentation
2024-08-17 11:00 - 13:00 | James Michael Curley House, 350 Jamaicaway, Boston, MA, 02130, United States
Come see live birds of prey including a red-tailed hawk, a peregrine falcon, owls and more! All birds will be handled by Wingmasters’ licensed raptor rehabilitators. Ages 6 and up, pre-registration required.
This event is now wait-listed due to high demand; please email cwaples@emeraldnecklace.org to be placed on the waitlist!

Alianza Park Series: Jamaica Pond
2024-08-14 - 2024-08-25
Roundhead Brewing Company and Fresh Food Generation announce Alianza Park Series, a first-of-its-kind mobile beer garden and hospitality series coming to neighborhood parks across the City of Boston! Alianza Park Series combines a menu of small-batch brews from the Latino-owned Roundhead Brewing Company and farm-to-plate Caribbean American eats from Fresh Food Generation. Alianza (“Alliance”) speaks to the business partnership, and invites attendees to travel and build community across Boston neighborhoods.
See below for the schedule for this edition of Alianza Park Series, taking place at Jamaica Pond!
Wednesday, August 14: 4:00-9:00PM
Thursday, August 15: 4:00-9:00PM
Friday, August 15: 12:00-9:00PM
Saturday, August 17: 12:00-9:00PM
Sunday, August 18: 12:00-6:00PM
Wednesday, August 21: 4:00-9:00PM
Thursday, August 22: 4:00-9:00PM
Friday, August 23: 12:00-9:00PM
Saturday, August 24: 12:00-9:00PM
Sunday, August 25: 12:00-6:00PM

Tour: Historic Treasures of the Back Bay Fens
2024-09-29 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-08-11 10:00 - 11:30 | 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!

Brookline Community Parkfest
2024-08-10 11:00 - 15:00 | Allerton Overlook, Olmsted Park, Brookline, MA, United States
Brookline Community Foundation, in partnership with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, is hosting the second-annual Brookline Community Parkfest at Olmsted Park. Join us for a fun-filled day outdoors featuring free performances, family-friendly activities, vendors, games and more! This event is free and open to all.
To sign up as a volunteer, click here.
Interested in tabling, performing or providing materials for Parkfest? Click here to register!
More info coming soon!

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s participation in Brookline Community Parkfest is supported by Verizon.

Call for Volunteers: Brookline Community Parkfest
2024-08-10 10:00 - 16:00 | Allerton Overlook, Olmsted Park, Brookline, MA, United States
Hello, Emerald Necklace volunteers! In lieu of our usual field maintenance Second Saturday volunteering, we’re seeking volunteers to help table, welcome guests and provide general event support at Brookline Community Parkfest on Saturday, August 10 (rain date Sunday, August 11)
Volunteers are needed from 10am-4pm, split into two shifts. All volunteers will get a free lunch courtesy of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.
Brookline Community Foundation, in partnership with The Emerald Necklace Conservancy, is hosting the second annual Brookline Community Parkfest at Olmsted Park. It’ll be a fun-filled day outdoors featuring free performances, family-friendly activities, vendors, games, and more, and it’s free and open to all.
The Brookline Community Foundation (BCF) creates opportunity and promotes equity through the transformative power of giving. BCF is dedicated to ensuring everyone who lives, learns, works, and plays in the Brookline community prospers and thrives. Today, BCF’s strategic focus is on advancing racial and economic justice so every community member has access to the essentials we all need to lead healthy lives and to prosper.
If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s Volunteer and Field Maintenance Coordinator, Alyx, at abritton@emeraldnecklace.org.
Register to volunteer below:

Tuesdays with Roses
2024-07-30 17:30 - 19:30, 2024-07-23 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.

Olmsted Summer Sundays with a Visiting Park Ranger
2024-07-28 10:00 - 16:00, 2024-07-14 10:00 - 16:00 | Shattuck Visitor Center, 125 The Fenway, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Amid the Emerald Necklace parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, join park rangers from Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline as they partner with the Conservancy to bring back a favorite summer program!
Stop by the Shattuck Visitor Center from 10AM to 4PM each Sunday this summer to meet a park ranger and learn about Olmsted’s “most important work,” the Emerald Necklace park system!
Olmsted Summer Sundays with a Visiting Park Ranger is an interpretive program by Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site hosted by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.

Coffee with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy – Network and Learn about Boston’s Largest Park System
2024-07-25 08:30 - 10:30 | James Michael Curley House, 350 Jamaicaway, Boston, MA, 02130, United States
Join us for coffee, breakfast bites and networking at the historic “House with the Shamrock Shutters”—the offices of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy. Learn about the organization that helps steward the Emerald Necklace—“Boston’s Best Natural Refuge”—and how the Emerald Necklace can benefit you or your team with volunteer days, special in-park experiences, brand visibility and more. Mingle with fellow park enthusiasts and professionals, meet members of the staff and learn what the Necklace has to offer!
Friends and colleagues are welcome! RSVP below:

President's Walking Tour of the Emerald Necklace
2024-07-20 09:00 - 13:00 | Shattuck Picnic Grove, Circuit Drive, Boston, 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. Registration required; sign up below.

What to Bring:
– Refillable water bottle with water
– Lunch and/or snacks
– Hat
– Sunscreen

Important Info:
– Dress in layers
– Wear comfortable walking shoes
– This is a “light rain or shine” event. In case of extreme weather, it will be rescheduled to Sunday, July 21. In the event of cancellation or postponement, notification will be shared via email on Friday, July 19.
– There will be brief stops along the way for lunch, snacks, water and restroom breaks. Most time will be spent walking.

(Canceled) Tuesdays with Roses
2024-07-16 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.

[Canceled] Tour: Evening Garden Stroll
2024-07-16 17:30 - 19:00 | Shattuck Visitor Center, 125 The Fenway, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
This tour was postponed from Tuesday, July 9
Summer blooms, scented gardens, and a leisurely stroll all combine to make this guided walk of the Kelleher Rose Garden and Fenway Victory Gardens the perfect antidote to the workday!

Second Saturdays: Volunteer Stewardship at Jamaica Pond
2024-07-13 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, July 13! This month, we will be working in Jamaica Pond Park.
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.

MassDOT Public Meeting on Bowker Overpass Replacement
2024-07-11 18:00 - 19:30
Join MassDOT on Thursday, July 11 at 6PM for a virtual public meeting on a proposed project for a crucial link in the Emerald Necklace—the southern end of the Bowker Overpass Bridge over I-90.

A safer, greener Bowker is key in reconnecting the Back Bay Fens to Charlesgate Park and Boston’s extended greenspace network, and the Conservancy is hopeful for improved access and public space the project may create!

Learn more about the public meeting here.
