Brookline DPW Invites Community To Spring Fest Celebration of Trees

BROOKLINE, MA — The Brookline Department of Public Works is inviting the community to Brookline's inaugural Spring Fest on Saturday, May 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Allerton Overlook at Olmstead Park.

Spring Fest is a celebration of trees and will serve as the kickoff event for the town’s recently completed Urban Forest Climate Resiliency Master Plan.

The event will include an Arbor Day planting and proclamation, as well as family-friendly activities such as yard games, crafting stations, a tree-themed scavenger hunt, food and music. Town forestry staff will conduct a live pruning demonstration and share tree care resources, including information on how residents can apply for a free tree.

The event will include the following scheduled activities:

• 11 a.m. – Tree ID Walk with Brookline GreenSpace Alliance
• 12 p.m. – Arbor Day Ceremony
• 1 p.m. – Pruning Demonstration & Allerton Overlook Spring Planting

“The value of our urban forest and public green spaces cannot be overstated. As we have seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, these natural resources are critical to public and ecological health and serve as important nature-based climate solutions with multiple benefits for our communities," Brookline Parks and Open Space Director Alexandra Vecchio said in a statement. “We are thrilled to offer this opportunity for Brookline residents to come together and learn more about how to value and care for our essential green infrastructure.”

Spring Fest will take place in Olmsted Park in collaboration with the National Association for Olmsted Parks’ “Olmsted 200” initiative, which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted.

Olmsted, a renowned landscape architect and conservationist who helped design Central Park in New York City, was known for his commitment to creating thoughtfully designed, community-oriented open spaces and sustainable landscapes. Olmsted Park is a perfect example of his exemplary work and is considered one of Brookline’s most valuable open space resources. The park serves as a critical habitat corridor and boasts the second-largest historic forest in the Emerald Necklace.

“We have a lot to celebrate — our wonderful open spaces, our renewed dedication to our urban tree canopy as outlined in the new Urban Forest Climate Resiliency Master Plan, and of course, Frederick Law Olmsted on the 200th anniversary of his birth,” said Brookline GreenSpace Alliance President Arlene Mattison in a statement. "Brookline GreenSpace Alliance is also celebrating 35 years of advocacy for our green spaces at a table at Spring Fest in Olmsted Park,”

Spring Fest is sponsored by Brookline GreenSpace Alliance, Brookline Mothers Out Front, Olmsted 200 and the Brookline Arts Center.

“This event is a great way to learn what trees can do for you and what you can do for them,” said Olivia Fischer Fox of Brookline Mothers Out Front’s Tree Team in a statement.

For more information, visit www.brooklinema.gov/SpringFest.