Frederick Law Olmsted’s 200th Birthday celebration

     Olmsted Now, Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site (Fairsted) and Friends of Fairsted  are partnering with Olmsted 2022 and Friends of Jamaica Pond to expand their annual tradition marking Frederick Law Olmsted’s birthday on April 26 with the Jamaica Pond community.

     America’s great place-maker Frederick Law Olmsted—who created the field of landscape ar-chitecture and the Emerald Necklace park system—turns 200 in 2022. Join us at Jamaica Pond, the geographic heart of the Emerald Necklace, to kick-off Olmsted’s bicentennial and honor his legacy values of shared use, shared health and shared power in parks and public space. Enjoy treats, toasts and local legend Gerry Wright, founder of Olmsted 2022, portray-ing the man himself! Olmsted 2022 will recognize and spotlight awardees for their leadership in parks access and advocacy. Proclamations about this day in history will precede a sunset toast to an upcoming season of Olmsted Now bicentennial events, April through October. The growing list of activities will be accessible with each fresh-baked sweet provided by Jamaica Plain’s Monumental Market until supplies run out. This event is free and open to the public.

     The event will take place at the Jamaica Pond Boathouse, 507 Jamaicaway in Jamaica Plain, on Tuesday, April 26 from 6:30-7:30pm. The rain date is April 27. This event is free and open to the public, however RSVP is recommended at www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/olmsted-bicentennial//.

     Additionally, Olmsted 2022 annually recognizes local leaders for their parks access and advo-cacy work and will publicly recognize recent awardees:

• Patrice Kish, Chief of Design and Engineering, Department of Conservation and Recreation

• Kent Jackson, Director of Education, Emerald Necklace Conservancy

     For the bicentennial year, Olmsted 2022 spotlights prior awardees whose empowerment work exemplifies the themes of the Olmsted Now Bicentennial: 

            Carol Miranda, Director, Community Connections Coalition/Tree of Life/Arbol de Vida Corey Stallings, Program Director, South Street Youth Center.

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