The six large public parks known as Boston's Emerald Necklace stretch 5 mi from the Back Bay Fens through Franklin Park, in Dorchester. Frederick Law Olmsted's design heightened the natural beauty of the Emerald Necklace, which remains a well-groomed urban masterpiece. Locals take pride in and happily make use of its open spaces and its pathways and bridges connecting rivers and ponds. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy (617/522-2700. www.emeraldnecklace.org) maintains a regular calendar of nature walks and other events in the parks. Rangers with the Boston Parks & Recreation Department (1010 Massachusetts Ave., 02118. 617/635-4505. www.cityofboston.gov/parks/parkrangers) lead tours highlighting the area's historic sites and surprising ecological diversity.
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