Public Health Plaza

This pollinator garden was planted on June 16, 2026, by roughly 50 community members who came out to celebrate the grand opening of this new public space in Brookline Village. People of all ages showed up to help, and with so many hands in the soil, the work went quickly and joyfully.

The garden is a centerpiece of the new Public Health Plaza — a collaboration between the Brookline Public Health & Human Services Department and the Brookline Department of Public Works (DPW), funded by a FY25 Community Preservation Act
(CPA) Grant. The plaza reimagines a previously underutilized lawn and heat island into a welcoming community space featuring a seat wall, updated site furnishings, permeable pavers, new tree plantings, and a pollinator garden to support local wildlife. It
also complements the adjacent Garden of Remembrance and serves as a gateway into the Brookline Village business district.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured remarks from Dr. John Kleschinsky (Director of Public Health and Human Services), Alexandra Vecchio (DPW Sustainability and Natural Resources Director), Carol Spitzer (Brookline Pollinator Pathway), and Charles
Carey (Town Administrator). The garden design plan was created by DPW Parks Division staff, including Jessie Waisnor, Patricia Noto, and Asa Runefelt, and features a rich mix of native grasses, perennials, and shrubs selected to provide multi-season bloom and habitat for pollinators.