Boston Flora

Tag: Emerald Necklace Conservancy

  • Tuesday, November 30, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Friends of the Boston Park Rangers Benefit

    Please join The Honorable Thomas M. Menino and the Friends of the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit for Cocktails in Support of the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit on Tuesday, November 30, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at Parkman House, 33 Beacon Street in Boston.  Hear remarks by Henry Lee, President of the Friends of the Public Garden, and by Julie Crockford, President of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.  Please respond by November 16 to Ashley Helie at 617-522-2700, or email her at ahelie@emeraldnecklace.org.  Tickets are $500 each.  If you cannot attend, donations in any amount will be gratefully accepted.  Checks may be made payable to the Justine Mee Liff Fund for Friends of the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit, and mailed to the Friends c/o The Emerald Necklace Conservancy, PO Box 300699, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.

    Your contributions will benefit Mystic, Jake, Liberty, Winston, Baron, and Fred.  Fred has been an honored guest as past Garden Club of the Back Bay benefit events, although his presence was limited to an “outside role.”

  • Eugenie Beal Honored by The Trustees of Reservations

    The Trustees of Reservations, the nation’s oldest regional land trust and non-profit conservation organization, recently honored retiring Board Member Eugenie Beal at the organization’s annual meeting and dinner held on September 25th at the Boys & Girls Club in Leominster.

    Eugenie “Genie” Beal has served on The Trustees of Reservations’ (The Trustees) Board of Directors since 2006. She received The Charles Eliot Award from The Trustees in 2007 in recognition for championing the cause of conservation in Boston for more than 30 years. As chair of the Board of Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN), her leadership was pivotal in crafting the affiliation of BNAN with The Trustees of Reservations. She was the first chairwoman of the Boston Conservation Commission in the 1970s, founding Director of the Boston Environment Department, Special Assistant to the Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs, and a founder of Boston Natural Areas Fund (now BNAN) in 1977. Under Ms. Beal’s leadership, the mission of BNAN also embraced community gardens and greenways and became one of the leading urban open space organizations in the country. She was also founder of both the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and the Arboretum Park Conservancy and served as chairwoman of the Common Committee for the Friends of the Public Garden. The American Society of Landscape Architects also honored Beal’s extensive dedication and contributions to the Boston landscape at their centennial in 1999.

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay sends its congratulations to Ms. Beal, who is a shining example of the power of the individual volunteer. The terrific photo below is by Peter Vanderwarker.

  • Elimination of the Mounted Unit of the Park Rangers

    The following  letter has been received by The Garden Club of the Back Bay from Michele Hanss, Chairman of The Boston Committee:

    It has come to our attention that the Mounted Unit of the Park Rangers for the City of Boston may be eliminated later this month on June 30th due to cuts in the Parks and Recreation budget. This poses serious consequences primarily affecting the safety of the parks by sharply decreasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the Park Rangers. A number of park related non-profits such as the Friends of Jamaica Pond, Franklin Park Coalition, and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy are working hard to influence the outcome of this and our support is needed right now.

    Monies are being raised privately through several sources and you can help by sending contributions to:

    The Emerald Necklace Conservancy
    891 Centre Street
    Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts 02130

    Please include in the memo section of your check: horses. If, despite all this effort, the unit does not survive these tough financial times, the checks will be returned. If you have any questions concerning this please e-mail Julia Owens at jowens@ridgewayadvisors.com since she is handling all requests for information.

    Thank you for your consideration in supporting our park lands.

    http://www.friendsofjamaicapond.org/images/ParkRangers/Ranger3470s.jpg

  • Garden Club of the Back Bay Holiday Wreaths – Supporting the Community

    There is still time to order a magnificent holiday wreath from The Garden Club of the Back Bay – you may print an order form and mail it in with your check, or you may order online and pay through PayPal.  All the information and directions are available by clicking here.  Why should you buy from us?  Yes, we know you could order from local florists (at a significantly higher price, we might point out), or from the nurseries or groceries stores (at perhaps a slightly lower cost).  Purchasing our wreaths comes with the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting many wonderful local organizations, in addition to our own.  Each year we make grants to not for profit groups which are making a difference in our lives.  Besides the Friends of the Public Garden and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee, we donate to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, the Charles River Clean Up Boat, the Boston Nature Center of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Esplanade Association, and to City Roots/The Urban Ecology Institute.   This is by no means the complete list of beneficiaries (click on to our Projects page on the menu above for details) but we give between $15,000 and $18,000 annually to area groups accomplishing great works which we do not have the expertise or manpower to do ourselves.  The dollar amount of these grants is dependent upon our earnings, so we urge you to be generous and allow us the opportunity to enhance your holiday environment with our fresh balsam wreaths. Thank You!

  • Wednesday, October 28, 6:00 pm – Neighbors & Networks: The Olmsted Firm and the Development of Brookline, 1880 – 1936

    Professor Keith Morgan of Boston University will present an illustrated lecture on The Olmsted Firm and the Development of Brookline, 1880 – 1936, at the Wheelock College Auditorium, 43 Hawes Street in Brookline, on Wednesday, October 28.  A reception at 6:00 pm will be followed by the lecture at 7:00 pm.  Seating is limited.  Please rsvp to friendsoffairsted@gmail.com, or telephone 617-566-1689 x 235.  Cohosted by the Friends of Fairsted; Brookline Greenspace Alliance; Brookline Historical Society; Emerald Necklace Conservancy; Fenway Alliance; High Street Hill Association; Historic New England; Mount Auburn Cemetery; Muddy River Restoration Project Maintenance and Management Oversight Committee; NPS, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site; Society of Architectural Historians, New England Chapter; and the Friends of Stonehurst.

    http://friendsoffairsted.org/images/fs-spring.jpg

  • Saturday, June 6, 10 – 1 – Volunteer Day in Olmsted Park Woodlands

    To help ensure the health and the future of Olmsted Park’s Woodlands From Spring to Fall the Emerald Necklace Conservancy offers regular volunteer days on the first Saturday of each month. You can help remove invasive non-native plants, rejuvenate the soil, restore paths, and plant for species diversity and forest health.Please sign up in advance to projectassistant@emeraldnecklace.org . Bring a trowel if you have one and your own water bottle. We will provide gloves. Meet at the Daisy Field parking lot. For directions, log on to www.emeraldnecklace.org.

  • Monday, June 1, 7 – 9 pm – Save the Boston Mounted Park Rangers Horses

    The Emerald Necklace Conservancy announces a night of fun and fundraising to Save the Boston Mounted Park Rangers Horses on Monday, June 1 from 7 – 9 pm.  The Boston Park Ranger Mounted Unit has its own department horses, tack, trailers, and patrol vehicles.  They patrol all nine parks in the Emerald Necklace as well as neighborhood parks and cemeteries.  Over the years, The Boston Park Ranger Mounted Unit has grown into a highly recognized and respected agency in the City of Boston. There will be delicious food and drinks and live music presented by the hot Boston band Felix Brown at Jacob Wirth Restaurant, 31-37 Stuart Street, Boston, between Washington and Tremont Streets.  Saddle up and help the Mounted Park Rangers as a “Mane Supporter” ($1,000), “Chomping at the Bit” ($500), “Hot to Trot” ($250), “In the Saddle” ($100) or “Stirrup Enthusiasm” ($50).  Please rsvp to Susan Knight: sknight@emeraldnecklace.org or call 617-522-2700.  All contributions are tax deductible.  Payments can be made by check or credit card.  Make checks payable to Justine Mee Liff Fund.  Mail to Emerald Necklace Conservancy, 891 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.  RSVP by May 30 – checks only at the door.  Log on to www.emeraldnecklace.org for more information.