The Friends of Hemlock Gorge

The Friends of Hemlock Gorge Statement of Purpose

As approved April, 2019

Submitted to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as part of our registration as a charitable non-profit organization in 2019

MISSION

The Friends of Hemlock Gorge has been formed to help preserve Hemlock Gorge Reservation. It is a 23 acre public park along the Charles River conceived by Charles Eliot in 1892 and managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

The Friends of Hemlock Gorge is an entirely volunteer organization dedicated to working with the DCR to protect, maintain, and enhance Hemlock Gorge Reservation, which is located in Newton, Needham, and Wellesley, MA. The principal activities of this organization will be:

  1. Advise the DCR on unmet needs for preserving the park (e.g. reporting trail erosion, insect infestations)
  2. Work with the DCR through its program of Public-Private Partnerships to implement capital improvements to the park (e.g. new safety railings, repairs to historic buildings, pest control)
  3. Conduct two annual volunteer clean-ups of the park in coordination with the DCR
  4. Organize occasional activities the enjoyment of the park by members of the surrounding community (e.g. hikes, annual picnics)