The Esplanade Association Celebrates 10 Years of Caring for the Park

From organizing activities like family yoga and kickboxing programs, to landscaping initiatives and better connecting Bostonians to the three-mile park along the Charles River, the park wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for the The Esplanade Association.

Founded in 2001, this year marks the organization’s 10-year anniversary. The annual meeting on Thursday will feature keynote speaker Edward M. Lambert, commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The is one of 150 parks managed by the DCR.

 “I am pleased to celebrate The Esplanade Association’s 10th anniversary, and happy to have inherited such a strong partnership,” Lambert said in a statement. “DCR looks forward to maintaining this important relationship as it ensures that the Esplanade continues its dual role as a world-renowned urban landscape and neighborhood park.”

Each year, The Esplanade Association brings more than 2,000 volunteers to help care for the park, and has helped drive more than $8 million in improvements. 

Highlights include:

• The historic planting of , the first in more than 50 years.
• Fun activities that will expand over the summer to include weekly kickboxing, Zumba, boot camp, walking and running clubs, along with a new a monthly program for families.
• Improved feasibility and connections to the park on both sides of the Charles River, in coordination with the state plan to restore the Longfellow Bridge. “During the Longfellow Bridge planning process, The Esplanade Association’s advocacy was transformational,” said Rep. Marty Walz. “Thanks to TEA, the parkland and its pedestrian connections to Charles Circle will be far better than originally planned by the state.”
• The creation of Esplanade 2020, a forward-thinking plan prioritizing the 100-year-old park’s repair and maintenance. One of the first projects, to be started this spring, is the re-landscaping and revitalization of the Charles Eliot Memorial, an important and popular gathering spot abutting Community Boating.  The group will tackle the problems of severely compacted soil and invasive plants, and creating a more attractive and user-friendly place with beautiful river views.