Our Mission

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy was created to protect, restore, maintain and promote the landscape, waterways and parkways of the Emerald Necklace park system as special places for people to visit and enjoy.

The Conservancy's programs and funding support and complement initiatives by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, City of Boston and Town of Brookline who began the Necklace's restoration in the 1980s.

Our programs focus on:

• parks restoration and maintenance
• public education including presentations, exhibits and publications
• constituency-building and park advocacy
• volunteer and other activities which promote parks stewardship
• improvement of public access to and through the park system, among other activities.

A public-private partnership, the Conservancy was formed in 1996 and incorporated in 1998 as a non-profit organization. Our organization brings together government, business, residential and institutional representatives, community leaders and organizations, and environmental and park advocates in support of the Olmsted legacy. President Julie Crockford and the staff work closely with the Board of Directors, the Park Overseers (representing all of the parks and friends groups within the Emerald Necklace), the Stewardship Council, and hundreds of volunteers to accomplish our mission.

Join us in the continued renewal of an historic landscape, and an environmental and cultural treasure that is:

• a place to join together in celebration
• a backyard for our children
• a special wildlife habitat
• a boost to our area's economy
• a source of serenity and renewal