Esplanade Association Transforms Dead Tree into Whimsical Work of Art

The sculpture was completed this month.

The following is an edited release that was sent in by Christopher Timmel of The Esplanade Association:  Work is now complete on the new sculpture and landscape project at the Esplanade’s Stoneman Playground, the site of the first project completed by The Esplanade Association eleven years ago near the intersection of Hereford Street and Storrow Drive. Though the sculpture and refurbished surrounding landscape are complete and open for use, The Esplanade Association plans to hold an official ribbon cutting ceremony in the upcoming spring. Mitch Ryerson was commissioned this past spring to transform a dead oak tree into a whimsical sculpture that is not only an attractive art piece, but also a practical resource for park users. Ryerson, who…

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Esplanade to Get a New Walking Path This Weekend

The state conservation department has teamed up with the American Heart Association to create the new path.

This Saturday the first of 12 new walking paths in the state will be unveiled along the Esplanade. The American Heart Association is partnering with the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation to dedicate 12 official AHA walking paths throughout Massachusetts.  “DCR is thrilled to partner with the American Heart Association, and to connect to its national network of official walking paths,” DCR Commissioner Edward M. Lambert, Jr. said. The unveiling will be at 9 a.m. and will include a brief speaking program followed a performance of the song “Walkin’ Around Boston” by the group Didn’t Planet. The AHA walking path along the Charles River is sponsored the by CardioVascular Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess.  In addition to the …

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Stoneman Sculpture on Esplanade Nearly Complete

The whimsical piece was created from an oak tree that died.

The  tree sculpture in the Sidney Stoneman Playground on the Esplanade should be finished in the next couple of weeks, according to Sylvia Salas, the executive director of the Esplanade Association.  Last weekend 40 volunteers cleaned, raked and weeded, and painted the benches. In the next month, the Esplanade Association will be refreshing the landscape in the coming month. The Stoneman Playground opened in 2001 and featured a distinctive oak tree with a special curved bench at its base.  The tree has since died was cut back to a 15-foot-tall stump, which was turned into a sculpture by artist Mitch Ryerson.  "By turning the dead tree into a sculpture, we avoid the expense and disruption to park users that would be caused by the removal of…

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Train, Gavin DeGraw & Andy Grammer to Headline MIXFest at Hatch Shell

The annual concert by radio station MIX 104.1 returns to the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade Sat, Sept. 8 with an all-star lineup of Grammy-winning artists.

Chances are you fondly recall Train’s hit songs “Hey Soul Sister,” “Calling All Angles,” “Drops of Jupiter,” “Meet Virginia,” and more recently “Drive By,” and “50 Ways to Say Goodbye.” Gavin DeGraw, who went to Berklee by the way, is known for “I Don’t Want to Be,” “Chariot,” “Not Over You,” and “Follow Through.” And Andy Grammer exploded onto the scene last year with “Keep Your Head Up” followed by “Fine By Me,” and “Miss Me.” As a way to saying thank you to listeners, MIX 104.1 is once again hosting the concert for FREE. It kicks off at 4 p.m., rain or shine, at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade.

Update: Death in Charles River Today Not a Homicide, Says DA

Dive teams have been cancelled and the body has not been identified yet.

Update: 3:15 p.m. From the District Attorney's office: "State Police assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office are investigating the death of a man whose body was recovered from the Charles River early this afternoon.  The investigation thus far suggests that the deceased, an adult male, intentionally entered the water from the area of a boat launch near Storrow Drive and the Longfellow Bridge a short time earlier.  The preliminary evidence does not suggest foul play and the death is currently being investigated as a non-homicide." Update: 1:28 p.m. The Boston Fire Department divers have recovered the body of an adult male about 10 feet from the dock by the Hatch Shell. They've canceled the remainder of the dive team. Update: 1:22 p.m. Two …

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Free Summer Fitness Programs Return to the Esplanade

Classes include everything from community runs, yoga, boot camp, zumba, and more.

  Last Monday, The Esplanade Association relaunched it's free outdoor fitness classes that run daily throughout July and August. “We believe the Esplanade is a great resource to support the health and vitality of Boston residents and park visitors,” Esplanade Executive Director Sylvia Salas said.  “We’re pleased that so many individuals are looking forward to the classes and so many community businesses want to be a part of this program.” The Healthy, Fit and Fun programs are taught by professional trainers from premier Boston area sports clubs and yoga studios. Classes include everything from community runs, yoga, boot camp, zumba, and more. The program is supported by Boston Sports Clubs, Equinox, Exhale Spa, Healthworks, OMBE, Social …

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Blue-Green Algae Hits the Charles River

What to know to stay safe on the Charles.

  The following is an edited press release from The Esplanade Association: If you've been down to the Esplanade this week, you might have noticed that the water is looking rather green. The warm weather and slow-moving water has caused cyanobacteria, or more commonly called blue-green algae, to bloom and rise to the river's surface, making the Charles a bright green color. Our friends at the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) have compiled information about blue-green algae below, and have advised the public to avoid contact. Blue-green algae can be hazardous to both humans AND animals, so keep your dogs on a short leash!  Causes of blue-green algae blooms   Implications of blue-green algae blooms   Monitoring blue-green algae …

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Esplanade's Eliot Memorial Revitalization is Moving Quickly

The Esplanade Association is looking to raise the remaining $50,000 to complete the project.

Landscape improvements to the Eliot Memorial next to Community Boating on the Charles River Esplanade are well underway. "We are counting on the support of everyone who loves this park to help us raise the remaining $50,000 needed to turn this worn out area into a beautiful gathering spot with the addition of trees and shrubs, circular benches, granite curbing and a repaired Founder's Overlook with magnificent views of the river and Boston skyline," said Sylvia Salas, Executive Director of The Esplanade Association. Plans have been moving quickly thanks to grants from state, city and neighborhood organizations, along with a committee of volunteers, the design improvements have been moving along quickly. Volunteer landscapers and …

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Volunteers Needed for Charles River Cleanup

The event is April 21. Sign up now.

The following is a press release from the Esplanade Association It's hard to believe it's that time of year again, but we're gearing up for the annual Charles River Cleanup on April 21st. This event attracts thousands of volunteers each year to help improve the health of the Charles River and its parklands. Although we have reached capacity for general cleanup volunteers, there are still options available to get involved. See below for these volunteer opportunities on the Esplanade. We also will have a volunteer drop-in site at the Hatch Shell on the day of the Cleanup, so if you realize you can help out last minute, come on over! For detailed descriptions on these options, please visit the website.  Volunteering on the Esplanade: If you …

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Esplanade Hires First Major Gifts Officer

Tani Marinovich, co-founded Friends of the Esplanade Playspace and helped raise $1.2 million to build the state-of-the-art play area.

Tani Marinovich, who co-founder of the Friends of the Esplanade Playspace and helped raise $1.2 million to build the state-of-the-art play area, just joined the Esplanade Association as it's first full-time Major Gifts Officer. “Tani is passionate about the Esplanade and already has proven she can rally community support and raise funds for the park,” said Margo Newman, the organization’s board chair. “We are thrilled to have her join our team and are very thankful to the Porpoise Fund for funding this position as well as that of the soon-to-be-hired horticulturist.”  The Esplanade Association is stepping up its efforts to raise more funds from individuals, corporations and foundations. It recently proposed a major Long-Term Vision for …

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