For nearly a decade, the Conservancy has supported Franklin Park neighbors who want a more community-centered process for the future of the Shattuck Hospital Site. This week's news presents an opportunity for a truly public vision. Read more: www.dotnews.com/2025/state-o...

With a springlike 53-degree day ahead of us, it's a great time to get out and explore your parks! Visit our free Mobile Tour Guide at www.emeraldnecklace.tours for self-guided exploration in each park of the Emerald Necklace. Photo: Merrill Shea

When you support the Emerald Necklace parks, your gift helps grow something beautiful. Your gift today will help inspire a new generation of park stewards to protect the green heart of our community. www.emeraldnecklace.org/donate/

Feeling inspired by our first snow of the season? Learn how to paint an Emerald Necklace landscape at our next Paint & Sip night on Thursday, January 29! We'll provide all you need for a fun night in the historic James Michael Curley House! Register: www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/paint-...

Our next guided tour of Charlesgate Park is this Saturday, December 13 at noon. Join us for a walk through the exciting future of this pivotal greenspace connector! Register: www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/charle...

This Saturday, December 13, join us at the Curley House for a pair of Native Cornhusk Weaving workshops, facilitated by artists and cultural stewards Elizabeth James-Perry and mica rose! Register: www.emeraldnecklace.org/weaving-work...

The finally tally is in: Thanks to the outstanding generosity of our community and our 2025 Winter Clothing Drive partners, this year's effort has officially brought in over 2,500 donated items! Our 5th-annual clothing drive has set a new record for donations to @bostonabcd.bsky.social.

Join us for two public tours of Charlesgate Park next month! Sign up today and get a first-hand look at the exciting changes underway for this pivotal greenspace connector. Sign up for each date: www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/charle... www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/charle...

Congratulations to all the artists who participated in the City of Boston's recent Franklin Park Poster Contest! It's a real joy to see what the Crown Jewel of the Emerald Necklace means to so many people. View all entries here: www.bslanow.org/postercompet...

We're thrilled to be included in @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social's 2025 Tourist Map! Featuring local landmarks from both sides of the Charles, this helpful guide is now available at the Shattuck Visitor Center.

It's our 28th birthday! Since 1997, the Conservancy has been working to restore, maintain, and improve the Emerald Necklace parks for all to explore and enjoy. It's all possible thanks to supporters like you! Make a difference with a gift of any size: www.emeraldnecklace.org/donate/

It's #NationalPhilanthropyDay - the time to celebrate all who generously support the causes they're passionate about. A gift of any size supports the stewardship of free, welcoming spaces where all can discover the restorative power of nature. https://www.emeraldnecklace.org/donate/

Happy Friday! We're entering the final weekend of our 2025 Winter Clothing Drive, and we need your help for the final push! Drop off new or lightly-used winter clothing at six locations in Boston and Somerville by Thursday, November 20. https://www.emeraldnecklace.org/events/winter-clothing-drive/

Meet Sophie, a Canopy Classroom Educator who’s been exploring Boston for just three months, inspiring students to connect with nature! Sophie hopes students see the Emerald Necklace as a place for all to enjoy. Her favorite park activity is leaf-peeping on Jamaica Pond, enjoying the vibrant colors.

Thanks to our amazing volunteers, we’ve already sorted 635 coats, hats, scarves, boots, and gloves—over halfway to our goal! Bring your new or gently-used winter gear before our final sorting day next Thursday, 11/20. Drop-off info: https://www.emeraldnecklace.org/events/winter-clothing-drive/

That's a wrap on our 2025 Second Saturdays Volunteer season! We were grateful to be joined by over 70 volunteers this weekend at Jamaica Pond Park. Thank you to the seven organizations who joined us for a morning caring for the parks!

On Wednesday, November 12, join the Boston Planning Department for a virtual public meeting on the proposed Rogerson-Beaufort development at 434 Jamaicaway. Learn more about the project and register online: https://ow.ly/ejta50XpnG7

Best of luck to all the runners in tomorrow's BAA Half Marathon! We hope you enjoy traversing the Emerald Necklace parks from Franklin Park to the Back Bay Fens. Learn more about the race and the route: https://www.baa.org/races/boston-half/ (Photo: vidadesamvilla on IG)

Our 2025 Winter Clothing Drive is happening now! We're collecting coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and more to help ABCD keep our neighbors in need warm. Clean out those closets and drop off items at locations throughout the Boston area! Visit our website to find more info: https://ow.ly/s00W50Xossk

TONIGHT at 6:00PM: Head to the Franklin Park Golf Course Clubhouse for a community meeting on dog facilities within Franklin Park, hosted by the Boston Parks Department! Learn more: https://www.boston.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/franklin-park-dog-facility-study

For our November Tree of the Month, we venture to Riverway Park to recognize this mighty Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) – though it still has some growing to do! Bur oaks produce the largest acorns of any North American oak, which feature a distinctive "wool." (1/3)

Meet Rudy, a Canopy Classroom Educator who brings energy, curiosity, & a love for the outdoors to each lesson! “I hope students realize that accessible natural spaces exist right here in Boston, and that they all have a part to play...whether through recreation, education, or stewardship.”

Thank you to the Library of American Landscape History and the Friends of Fairsted for hosting last night's film screening and discussion at the Coolidge Corner Theatre! Visit LALH.org to view the three short documentaries about the history of racial injustice in urban, state, and national parks.

Did you know the Emerald Necklace is Boston's premier birding location? It's true—you'll find over 3 dozen bird species from Franklin Park to the Fens! View our free online birding guide at https://www.emeraldnecklace.org/birding-guide/

Don't forget: join us this Saturday, November 8, for our final Second Saturdays volunteer event of the season! We'll be at Jamaica Pond Park from 10AM to noon for a morning park cleanup - we hope to see you there. Register: www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/second...

This morning, the Conservancy joined community members and organizers from the Friends of Jamaica Pond on a site walk with some of our elected officials! Senator Mike Rush and Representative Bill MacGregor are excited to collaborate to support maintenance & restoration work around the pond.

We need volunteers to help us sort donations in the 2025 Winter Clothing Drive! Join us on November 11 or 18 to help us count and prepare donated cold-weather items so they can get to families in need this winter. www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/wcd-vo... www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/wcd-vo...

At tonight's Trick or Tree event, at 350 Jamaicaway from 5-8PM, we’ll have a collection bin set up for nonperishable food donations, which will remain onsite through the weekend. With SNAP benefits at risk, we hope you'll take what you need or drop off shelf-stable items to support your neighbors!

Tonight's the night - Happy Halloween, Boston! All you JP trick-or-treaters, stop by the historic James Michael Curley House at 350 Jamaicaway tonight for candy and goodies from the Conservancy team - we'll be there from 5 to 8 PM.

#tbt to the Boylston Street Bridge in the Back Bay Fens, seen here not long after it was designed by H.H. Richardson - architect and frequent collaborator with Frederick Law Olmsted! This bridge was once the highest point in the Fens, and still offers a commanding view of the Muddy River today.

Our final Second Saturdays volunteer cleanup of 2025 is coming up soon! Join us on Saturday, November 8 as we help to steward Jamaica Pond with trash pickup and invasive plant removal. Register: www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/second...

On Friday, the Franklin Park Defenders received the President’s Award at the Olmsted Network's 2025 Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C.! The group was honored on this national stage for their work “[illustrating] the power of grassroots advocacy in defending the public purpose of Olmsted landscapes.”

This Friday, bring your trick-or-treaters to the James Michael Curley House at 350 Jamaicaway for candy and goodies from the Emerald Necklace Conservancy! We'll be there from 5:00 to 8:00PM on Halloween night.

Last call: our final public tour of the season is this Sunday in the Back Bay Fens, at 1:00PM. With Boston entering its peak foliage this week, now's a great time to discover the Emerald Necklace! Register: www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/tour-b...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood—which one will you take? [Riverway Park, photo by Evan Bradley] #emeraldnecklaceparks #autumnleaves #riverway #bostonfall

A very happy birthday to Justine Mee Liff, born on this day in 1947! As Boston's first female parks commissioner, Justine was an ardent supporter of public parkland, and she was instrumental both in the launching of the Muddy River Restoration Project and the founding of the Conservancy. (1/2)

Yesterday, Conservancy President Karen Mauney-Brodek and Anita Morson-Matra joined Governor Maura Healey and environmental leaders across Massachusetts to celebrate 50 years of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (@MassDEP) at the State House. 💚 (1/2)

The Emerald Necklace is entering its peak fall foliage in the coming weeks—you don't need to leave the city for some magnificent leaf peeping! Did you know our free mobile tour guide features a curated Foliage Tour? Visit www.emeraldnecklace.tours and explore the parks this autumn!

Our 2025 Winter Clothing Drive has begun! Now through November 20, we're accepting new or lightly-used cold weather gear to benefit families in need: donate coats, hats, gloves, and more at six locations in and around Boston. Learn more at our website: www.emeraldnecklace.org/events/winte...

Don't forget: our Shattuck Visitor Center is open 10AM to 4PM on weekends through the end of the month! Stop by 125 The Fenway—minutes from the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and Fenway Park—for visitor information, a public restroom, park maps, and more resources.

Boston is currently facing drought conditions that even last week's rain can't end. That's why we extended our summer tree watering into the fall! We're hydrating 200+ young trees each week so our urban canopy thrives. Support this work with a gift—every drop helps! www.emeraldnecklace.org/donate

We're hiring! The Conservancy is seeking a dynamic, motivated Public Events Coordinator to support the planning and execution of our year-round public events, equity initiatives, cultural partnerships, & seasonal outreach programs. Learn more & apply: emeraldnecklace.isolvedhire.com/jobs/1612460

Scenes from this Saturday's volunteer cleanup in Olmsted Park - we were grateful to be joined by lifelong community advocate (and Frederick Law Olmsted performer) Gerry Wright! [Photos by Matt Wright]

It's #WorldMentalHealthDay, and we're reflecting on the power of natural spaces to heal & restore people & communities. In our modern age, it's more important than ever to unplug and explore. Be kind to yourself, & take some time today to experience the natural world right here in our backyard.

Yesterday, we were grateful to join MassDOT in Charlegate Park alongside public officials & friends from the Charlesgate Alliance, the Esplanade Association & more! We're proud to help kick off the Charlesgate Revitalization Project, to reconnect it to the Back Bay Fens after decades apart.

Last call: Join us tomorrow at the Curley House for our first-ever Paint & Sip night! No artistic experience required: together, we'll paint this stunning Riverway scene over a glass of wine. Register now and unwind before the weekend at this cozy fall event! www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/paint-...

The North American raccoon, Procyon lotor, trash panda—whatever you call them, this fuzzy family lives in your parks!

The 24th annual Opening Our Doors Festival is one week from today! Visit us at 125 The Fenway for games, an 11AM park tour, and more: www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/openin...

Next weekend on October 11, our field operations staff will be in Olmsted Park to lead our monthly Second Saturdays volunteer cleanup! As we work to keep the Daisy Field area clean and healthy, join us for a bright autumn morning caring for your parks. www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/second...

(THREAD) For our October Tree of the Month, we travel out into the waters of Jamaica Pond, where we find a small island covered in willow trees. These icons of the pond have been seen on the man-made island ever since it was constructed. That’s right—constructed in 1915. (1/4)