Friends of the Harborwalk

Friends of the Boston Harborwalk

The FBHW is a group of volunteers with a mission to create awareness, promote public enjoyment, and foster local stewardship of Boston’s 43-mile Harborwalk. The group meets monthly to plan and coordinate three priorities:

  1. Host informative monthly two-hour tours highlighting different Harborwalk segments.
  2. Develop engaging and site-specific interpretive signs for residents and visitors along the Harborwalk and collaborating with waterfront property owners and other stakeholders on their installation.
  3. Organize waterfront clean-up events and reporting maintenance concerns to help ensure that the entire length of the Harborwalk is clean, safe, and inviting.

For more information on joining the FBHW, contact Mike Manning, Chair, at mmanning@bostonharbornow.org.

UPCOMING TOURS (Tentative Schedule)

All tours are led by volunteers from the Friends of the Boston Harborwalk. Standard walking tours take place on Saturdays at 10:00 AM; however, some locations require alternative times and winter tours may be offered online. We look forward to offering the following tours in 2023

  • February: Winter Harbor Cruise
  • Thursday, March 16 (6:00 PM): Boston: Imports and Exports
  • Saturday, April 15: Fort Point Channel
  • Saturday, May 20: Belle Isle Marsh
  • Saturday, June 24: Dorchester Bay including Harbor Point, UMass – Boston, JFK Library, and Edward M. Kennedy Center
  • Saturday, July 15: Piers Park to Logan Int’l Airport
  • Saturday, July 22: More of the East Boston Harborwalk
  • August: Recreational boating
  • Saturday, September 23: Castle Island Signage Tour
  • Saturday, October 21: Charlestown Navy Yard
  • Thursday, November 8: Public Parks and Resilience Plans
  • Sunday, December 31:  Wharf District Tour

To register for these upcoming tours, please go to Eventbrite and/or join Boston Harbor Now’s email list.

RECORDED TOURS  

During the first year of the pandemic, many tours moved online. Recordings of some of the virtual tours from 2020 and 2021 are below.

To view all previous virtual tours, check out this YouTube playlist.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Please help us accomplish our goals by becoming a FBHW volunteer.  Here are a few opportunities for you to become involved:

Harborwalk Guided Tour Team

Tour team volunteers lead different guided excursions each month.  Most tours are on foot, others via bicycle or by boat, with each event exploring a different Harborwalk segment from Belle Isle Marsh in East Boston to the former Baker Chocolate Factory in lower Dorchester.  Tours typically run from 10 am to noon on Saturdays and begin and end near public transit. If you are interested in developing and/or leading a tour, please contact Mike Manning at mmanning@bostonharbornow.org.

Harborwalk Signage Team

Our signage team works closely with property owners and all stakeholders to develop content for engaging and inclusive interpretive signs along the Harborwalk, celebrating Boston’s rich waterfront history by focusing on local points of interest. The signs created by our team to date, can be viewed here. For more information contact Mike Manning at mmanning@bostonharbornow.org.

Harborwalk Clean-up Team

Building on a long tradition of giving back to the community, countless volunteers from local corporate and civic organizations help our team periodically undertake a needed clean-up along a Harborwalk segment. These clean-ups typically occur from 9 am to noon on a date of your choosing. If you’re interested in hosting your volunteer group for this purpose, please contact Erik Bankey at esbankey@msn.com.

2023 MEETINGS

The Friends of the Boston Harborwalk meet at 5:30 pm on the fourth Thursday of the month. They are currently meeting virtually. Please contact Mike Manning at mmanning@bostonharbornow.org to attend. Upcoming meetings will be held on the following dates:

  • Thursday, February 23
  • Thursday, March 23
  • Thursday, April 27
  • Thursday, May 25
  • Thursday, June 22
  • Thursday, July 27
  • Thursday, August 24
  • Thursday, September 28
  • Thursday, October 26
  • Thursday, November 16 (one week early due to Thanksgiving)
  • No meeting in December

FRIENDS IN THE NEWS

With Community Preservation Act funding from the City of Boston, the Friends installed eight signs around Castle Island and Pleasure Bay.

During the 2019 centennial of the Great Molasses Flood, a new sign researched and designed by the signage committee garnered significant news coverage. You can find it in Langone and Puopolo Park in the North End.