Spring Stewardship Days take place on two weekends. Both individuals and groups are welcome. For more information, contact Paul Sutton at 617-961-3029 or paul.sutton@boston.gov.

Saturday, April 25, 2020, from 2:30 - 5 p.m., Vernal Pool Ecology with Restoration Planting Workshop

• Meeting location: Trailhead parking area at 7 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury (at Annunciation Church)

Saturday, May 30, 2020, from 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. (noon), Pond/Marsh Ecology with Restoration Planting Workshop

• Meeting location: Trailhead parking area at 19 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury (adjacent to Willow Path ChildCare) 

Spring Stewardship Days take place on four Saturdays, beginning April 13. Both individuals and groups are welcome. For more information, contact Paul Sutton at 617-961-3029 or paul.sutton@boston.gov. We have event details below:

Event #1: Genie Beal and Vernal Pool Trail
(7 VFW Parkway)
Saturday, April 13, 2 - 5 p.m.

Event #2: Carriage Path and Bussey Brook / Arbor Day Tree Planting
(19 VFW Parkway)
Saturday, April 27, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Event #3: Leland Road and Hackensack Circle Trailheads
(Meet at end of Leland Rd)
Saturday, May 11, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Event #4: Vincent Road and West Roxbury Parkway Circle Trailheads
(Meet at Vincent Road at Morey Road)
Saturday, June 1, 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. (noon)

Vernal pools are temporary ponds formed in the spring due to melting snow.  They are critical habitats for a variety of animal and plant species.  Experience the amazing microscopic world that shares your world every day. 

We will also host a planting of native shrubs to help keep the ecosystem healthy.

Due to current health guidelines we are capping this event at 20 participants.  Masks are required, hand sanitizer will be provided, and social distancing protocols will be followed. Rain date is May 2 at the same time and location.

To register or for more information, contact Paul Sutton at 617-961-3029 or paul.sutton@boston.gov.

Mayor Michelle Wu, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, and The Province of Nova Scotia will host Boston’s signature holiday celebration, the 84th annual Boston Common Tree Lighting, on Thursday, December 4, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Boston Common, adjacent to the Visitor’s Information Center at 139 Tremont Street. Mayor Wu will be joined by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, marking the 54th year that Nova Scotia has given a tree to the people of Boston as thanks for relief efforts following the December 6, 1917 explosion of a munitions ship in Halifax Harbor. Within 24 hours of the disaster, a train loaded with supplies and emergency personnel traveled from Boston to Nova Scotia to aid in recovery efforts. Earlier this month, Mayor Wu visited Nova Scotia to highlight the partnership between the City of Boston and the Province of Nova Scotia. During her visit, Mayor Wu participated in the annual Tree for Boston tree cutting ceremony as the first Boston Mayor to attend and participate in the event. 

“Each year this special gift from Nova Scotia reinforces the neighborly bond that our communities have shared for over a century, and reminds us of the true meaning of the holiday spirit,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I look forward to joining families from across Boston and our guests from Nova Scotia on Boston Common for a spectacular celebration of holiday cheer and this beloved tradition.”

WCVB Channel 5 Chronicle co-anchors Anthony Everett and Shayna Seymour will host a live broadcast of the event beginning at 7:00 p.m. Headlining the show will be the iconic American female vocal group, The Pointer Sisters, performing hits including “I’m So Excited.” This year’s lineup also features Nova Scotia blues sensation Matt Andersen, Disney on Broadway’s Belinda Allyn performing “Beauty and the Beast”, songs from Nova Scotia’s alternative-pop singer-songwriter Maggie Andrew, and a heartwarming performance by the Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses. 

Pre-show entertainment will kick off at 6:00 p.m., setting the stage for a magical night on the Common with performances by Boston Police Officer Stephen McNulty, Taste of Ireland’s A Celtic Christmas, Origination, and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Joelle James.

The official holiday season kick-off in Boston includes the lighting of the City of Boston's official Christmas tree with approximately 5,000 lights, and the lighting of more than 50,000 lights throughout the Boston Common and Public Garden. This year’s historic Tree for Boston is a 45-foot-tall white spruce donated by Ronald and Claire Feener of Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. 

The holiday lights throughout both parks will light up in sequence shortly before 8:00 p.m. when Mayor Wu will be joined onstage by Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The show will close with a pyrotechnic display by Pyrotecnico.

The annual tree lighting on Boston Common is presented by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and The Province of Nova Scotia. The event is supported by presenting sponsor Amazon, signature sponsor Meet Boston, key sponsors Constellation Power and JetBlue, media sponsors WCVB Channel 5 and the Boston Globe, and hotel partner Hilton Boston Park Plaza. A sampling village will feature giveaways and refreshments from H.P. Hood, Drakes Cakes, New England Coffee, Meet Boston, and Globe Santa while supplies last. Sponsors of the “Make the Common Glow for the Holidays” who make the lighting of the Common and Public Garden possible include The Lynch Family Foundation and Greystar. 

"Amazon is honored to serve as the presenting sponsor of the Boston Common Tree Lighting, a cherished tradition that brings our community together during the holiday season. This event embodies the spirit of joy and connection that makes Boston such a special place to live and work,” said Jerome Smith, Head of Community Engagement, New England & Canada, Amazon. “We're proud to support the City of Boston in creating magical moments for families across New England.”

At approximately 8:15 p.m., immediately following the celebration on the Boston Common, Mayor Wu will join the Friends of the Public Garden and the Committee to Light Commonwealth Avenue Mall to flip the switch to light up Commonwealth Avenue Mall in the Back Bay. The lights on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall will be lit from Arlington Street to Charlesgate.

Please call (617) 635-4505 or visit boston.gov/boston-common-tree-lighting for more information about the festivities. To stay up to date with news, events, and improvements in Boston parks visit boston.gov/parks, call 617-635-4505, join our email list, and follow our social channels @bostonparksdept on X, Facebook, Instagram, and @parks.boston.gov on Bluesky.

The City of Boston's Environment Department and Parks and Recreation Department are organizing a clean-up at the Bussey Brook Meadow Urban Wild in Jamaica Plain. The cleanup will take place on: 

• Saturday, November 10, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 
• 407 South Street, Jamaica Plain 02130

Volunteer sign-up

A major component of the cleanup will be the picking up and disposing of trash in the surrounding area. Another component will involve the physical removal and disposal of invasive species. 

Invasive species are a group of organisms that are not native to a specific area and are harmful to the native organisms. This is due to the competition for resources that they create among the native organisms. 

The Parks and Recreation Department will lead the education and removal of invasive species portion of the event. They will help volunteers identify and remove the invasive species that are affecting the Bussey Brook Urban Wild.

If you would like to be a part of this event, please fill out this form. If you need assistance getting to and from Bussey Brook Meadow, please note that in this form and a representative will contact you to coordinate transportation. 

1. Water
2. Jacket
3. A hat
4. Sunglasses
5. Bug spray
6. Close-toed shoes
7. Pants or sweatpants
8. Tools and gloves, if you have them

By train: get off the train at the Forrest Hills train stop on the Orange Line. Walk out of the station towards the Arnold Arboretum. Enter Bussey Brook via Chocorua Street. Walk Chocorua Street for 11 minutes. Once you get to South Street, you should the volunteer sign. 

By car: there will be limited parking space, so please use public transportation if you are able to! Go to the address listed above and continue to drive until you see a conglomerate of cars parked and volunteers.

You can learn more about Urban Wilds online, and about the Jamaica Plain Urban Wilds. If you have any questions, please email Greenovate Boston at greenovate@boston.govgreenovate@boston.gov.