Ten Park Projects Awarded $47,000 in Grants by Friends of the Public Garden

By Dan Murphy

The Friends of the Public Garden is awarding a total of $47,000 to 10 park projects via its 2026 Henry Lee Fund for Boston Parks Awardees.

This year’s recipients include Saint Marks Area Civic Association, which is receiving $5,000 to upgrade an existing pollinator garden at Adams-King Playground in Dorchester by adding improved fencing, educational signage, and more native plants; Roslindale Village Main Street, which is receiving $5,000 to introduce picnic tables, including ADA-accessible seating, along with seasonal plantings at Adams Park in Roslindale; Friends of Ronan Park, which is receiving $2,000 to improve a park entrance area with a Little Free Library, new plantings, pathway stabilization, and repainting of seat walls at Ronan Park in Dorchester; Friends of Hayes Park, which is receiving $5,000 to remove?a fallen mature tree and?plant?a new Katsura tree at James A. Hayes Park in the South End; Redefining Our Community (ROC) Organization, which is receiving $5,000 for perimeter plantings and enhancements at Thetford Evans Playground in Dorchester; Friends of Titus Sparrow Park, which is receiving $5,000 for improvements to Titus Sparrow Park in the South End; Boston Food Forest Coalition, which is receiving $5,000 to support the 89 Radcliffe Street Food Forest in Dorchester; the Cocoanut Grove Memorial Committee, which is receiving $5,000 to support ‘key components’ of the Cocoanut Grove Memorial located in Statler Park in Bay Village;  Speak for the Trees, which is receiving $5,000 to provide professional pruning and care for mature trees at Rev. Loesch Family Park in Dorchester; and Old North Illuminated, which is receiving $5,000 for improvements to the 18th century garden at Old North Church in the North End.

“The Henry Lee Fund is about more than just financial support; it is about championing the vision of neighbors who care deeply for their public green spaces,” Liza Meyer, president of the Friends of the Public Garden, said in a press release. “This year’s projects reflect the vital role Boston’s parks play in making our city healthier, cooler, and more welcoming to people and pollinators. We are grateful to be able to help other park stewardship groups turn their ideas into reality.”

Established in June 2024, the Henry Lee Fund for Boston Parks fulfills community-driven ideas for investments in Boston’s parks and greenspaces by supplementing city resources with private dollars. With a mission of empowering local groups and seeding sustained community engagement around greenspaces, the Fund helps neighborhood groups and nonprofits deliver meaningful improvements to Boston’s urban parks and greenspaces, according to the Friends group.

Applications for the Fund’s 2027 grant cycle will reopen Aug. 3.