City of Boston, Department of Park and Recreation

Boston's natural landscape once looked very different than it does today. Salt marshes covered most of East Boston and lined Dorchester's shoreline. Meadows dotted the hilltops of Roxbury.

Pristine streams flowed through Hyde Park and West Roxbury. Over time, urbanization and human activity altered Boston's natural landscape.

Pieces of these ecosystems still exist throughout the City and offer a glimpse into the natural world. These are the focus areas of the  Urban Wilds Program.