About Us
Our Mission
The Friends of Buttonwood Park is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that serves as stewards of Buttonwood Park, the largest and most visited public park in New Bedford, Mass. We are dedicated to protecting, preserving, and enhancing the park in the spirit of Frederick Law Olmsted, whose famed landscape architectural firm laid out the first plans for Buttonwood Park in 1895.
Our mission is to maintain a peaceful park where people can relax and escape the stresses of urban life. We focus on projects like tree plantings, gardens, and better recreational facilities that help improve the well-being of local residents who visit the park. We also support activities that preserve the park as a historic landscape.
The work of The Friends of Buttonwood Park is made possible by people like you. Because of your support, we can keep improving the park and providing you with a calm natural retreat to enjoy right here in the city.
Board members for The Friends of Buttonwood Park volunteer their time to ensure that local residents have a peaceful and beautiful park to enjoy.
Buttonwood on the Move
Basketball Courts
As our first Buttonwood on the Move project, we chose to restore the park’s basketball courts. These heavily used basketball courts had not been updated in 30 years. We raised more than $90,000 and built three new clean, safe basketball courts, which opened in 2014.
Nature Trail
Our next big Buttonwood on the Move project is to create a nature trail through 18 acres of woods that lie north of the pond. This area has been overgrown and neglected for years. Right now, we’re working to raise $50,000 by 2017 to develop a master plan for this trail.
Tennis Courts
The courts have been restored. More info shortly.
Board of Directors
Donate
Support the work of The Friends today! Your donation goes directly to projects that protect, improve, and maintain Buttonwood Park.
DonateTake Action
You can make a difference for Buttonwood Park. Become a member of The Friends, volunteer your time with us, or plant a commemorative tree at the park.
Take Action