Mark your calendars for December 7 from 5:30 – 8:30, and come join The Young Friends of the Public Garden on a winter’s eve at the Union Club of Boston, 8 Park Street, to raise goodwill and funds for Boston’s first public parks – the Boston Common, the Public Garden, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Ticketing information may be found at http://friendsofthepublicgarden.org
The Reception is full, but contact Rachel Hangley below for membership information. Marie Law Adams and Dan Adams, founders of Landing Studio, will be discussing their vision and design for Charlesgate Park and sharing the community-led plan to revitalize this long-neglected area. Reclaiming the lost segment of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall at the intersection of three historic park spaces; the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, the Fens, and the Esplanade, their innovative plan will create new multi-modal connections to reconnect the park systems of Boston.
Landing Studio is an architecture and urban design practice. Their work is focused on the design of industrial and infrastructural systems in cities through shared-use landscapes, buildings, light installations, festivals, exhibitions, tours, and industry/community operations agreements. Additionally, Dan is the Director of the School of Architecture at Northeastern University, and Marie is a Lecturer in Urban Design at MIT.
The event takes place Thursday, November 15 from 6:30 – 8:30 at The Omni Parker House, 60 School Street, Boston. Contact Rachel Hangley at the Friends if you’d like to inquire about your Membership status: 617-723-8144 or email: rachel@friendsofthepublicgarden.org. Not a Member yet or need to Renew? You can join today. Click on https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/2018/10/09/november-15th-2018-members-reception-2018/ to join or renew your membership.
The Friends of the Public Garden will hold its annual Summer Party on Wednesday, July 18 from 6 – 8 on the Roof at Taj Boston, sponsored by Cambridge Trust Company. Visit http://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/2018/06/05/2018summerparty/ for ticket information. The event sells out, so act now!
The Friends of the Public Garden, in association with the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department, celebrates Mother’s Day with Boston-area families during its annual Duckling Day event.
A beloved tradition for more than 30 years, Duckling Day celebrates the children’s classic book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. Every year, over 1,000 people meet up and parade through Boston’s most picturesque parks, dressed like characters from the story. Led by the Harvard Marching Band, the parade will begin on the Boston Common at the Parkman Bandstand and end in the Public Garden near the famous Make Way for Ducklings sculpture. Bring your camera – the parade is possibly the most adorable thing you’ll ever see!
Prior to the parade will be Playtime on the Common, a vibrant array of family entertainment including crafts, face painters, a magician, circus games with Esh Circus Arts, and climbing and jumping with the Knucklebones crew. All families are welcome to decorate their wagons or strollers, bring a picnic, and enjoy springtime in Boston’s most beloved parks!
10:00 a.m. – Registration/check-in begins
10:00 a.m. – Playtime on the Common begins
11:45 a.m. – Executive Director Liz Vizza greets families
12:00 p.m. – Parade begins
Registration fee: $35 per family in advance (before May 11th); $40 per family at the event.
Each registered family will gain free access to all the activities in the Playtime on the Common, and they will receive a special goody bag filled with Duckling Day themed items for each child in their party. Event will be held rain or shine, and there are no refunds. To register visit http://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/2018/02/05/13may2018-ducklingday/
Join the Friends of the Public Garden on Friday, April 27 at 6:30 pm for cocktails, dinner, and dancing with Night Shift at the Green and White Ball at its new venue, the Four Seasons. Proceeds from the event will support the Friends mission to protect and improve the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Tickets are $1,250 per person. For questions or more information, please contact Mary Halpin, Director of Development, at 617-723-8144 or mary@friendsofthepublicgarden.org.
The April meeting of the Garden Club of the Back Bay will take place Tuesday, April 10 at 10:00 am at The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. GCBB past president Margaret Pokorny will speak on the single most important horticultural feature in Back Bay, and perhaps Boston: The Commonwealth Avenue Mall. See old pictures, plans, and learn of the conditions which affect growth. Learn about the original designs and tree plantings, and what has been done to preserve and support the Mall’s health and character.
Margaret is a landscape designer focusing on urban parks and greenspace. Currently she is chair of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee and serves on the boards of the Friends of the Public Garden, The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, the Esplanade Association, and The Garden Club of the Back Bay. Recently she has been involved in the new group, The Charlesgate Alliance. GCBB members may rsvp to jolinda.taylor@gmail.com. If you are interested in staying for the optional lunch following the meeting ($25), visit https://bostonflora.com/shop/
The 48th Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Public Garden will take place Wednesday, April 11 at 5:30 pm in the Alcott Room of the Omni Parker House Hotel, 60 School Street in Boston There will be a presentation entitled Stewardship and Vision: Taking Action for Future Generations by Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, the first Asian-American woman to serve on the Council and first woman of color to serve as Council President, Today, she serves as the Chair of the Committee on Planning, Development, and Transportation, as well as the Chair of the Committee on Census and Redistricting. Reception to follow. Kindly rsvp by April 4 on the website, http://friendsofthepublicgarden.org, where you will also find the 2017 Annual Meeting minutes, the Bylaws, and the Board of Directors nominating slate.
The Friends of the Public Garden are recruiting volunteers to become tour guides for their 2018 season, which runs weekdays May through September. If you’re passionate about the trees, plantings, sculpture, and history in the Boston Public Garden, please attend one their upcoming information sessions and learn more about becoming a volunteer guide for the tour program, Untold Stories of the Public Garden:
Wednesday, November 29 at 11am
Thursday, December 14 at 12 noon
Thursday, January 4, 2018 at 3pm
Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 12 noon
Training is provided and begins in February.
RSVP to attend one of these sessions by calling 617-723-8144 or emailing tours@friendsofthepublicgarden.org.
This year’s annual Friends of the Public Garden Members Reception on Monday, October 16 at 6:30 pm at the Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston Street, will feature a speaker program followed by a reception with refreshments. Our speaker will be Jim Canales, President and Trustee of the Barr Foundation.
Jim Canales became President and Trustee of the Barr Foundation in May 2014. He spent two decades at The James Irvine Foundation, including service as president and CEO from 2003–2014. Jim taught high school English in San Francisco after earning degrees in English and education from Stanford University. His range of volunteer engagements includes service as trustee of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and on the Advisory Board for Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Initiative. In 2015–2016, he co-chaired the Leadership Council of Boston’s cultural planning process. Jim previously served as Stanford University trustee; as chair of the College Futures Foundation, KQED, Stanford Alumni Association, Larkin Street Youth Services, and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations; and as vice chair of Monterey Bay Aquarium. Jim’s writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and other outlets. This reception is complimentary for current Members, and space is limited. You are a current Member if you have made a contribution to the Friends in either 2016 or 2017. Contact Rachel Hangley at the Friends if you’d like to inquire about your Membership status: 617-723-8144 or email: rachel@friendsofthepublicgarden.org
Please register for the event online by October 9th online at www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org.
The Friends of the Public Garden cordially invites you to attend A Summer Party to benefit the organization’s work in the Common, the Garden, and the Mall. The event takes place Wednesday, July 19 from 6 – 8 at the Taj Boston Rooftop. Come celebrate summer with festive hors d’oeuvre, drinks, and friends. Tickets are $75 per person and are available at www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org or call 617-723-8144.
