Boston Urban Wilds
A photographic study documenting the impact of the Boston Urban Wilds conservation program, an initiative to protect the city’s remaining natural ecosystems.
Boston Urban Wild 01-03, Belle Isle Marsh, East Boston; View of Boston’s last remaining salt marsh and the city skyline
PROJECT STATEMENT
The Boston Urban Wilds conservation program is an ongoing initiative to protect the city’s remaining natural ecosystems—salt marshes, wetlands, meadows, and woodlands. Fragments of these ecosystems still remain and are known as Urban Wilds.
When the program began in 1976, 143 Urban Wilds were identified within Boston and all were endangered. Today 29 Urban Wilds are cared for by the City of Boston. A few dozen more have been protected by various municipal agencies and community groups. Many Urban Wilds have been lost or degraded, but those that remain are crucial to the health and well-being of our city.
The Urban Wilds provide Boston’s human inhabitants with access to nature for reflection, respite, recreation, and education as a part of our daily lives. But just as importantly, the Urban Wilds serve as habitats for plants and animals. They also provide crucial ecological functions that are needed to sustain all life within the city. Urban Wilds protect shorelines from erosion, store floodwater, filter storm water run-off, produce oxygen, and reduce the urban “heat island” effect.
The Urban Wilds have been surveyed twice by the city, first in 1976 and again in 1990. Leading up to the 50th anniversary of the Boston Urban Wilds initiative in 2026, I’m conducting a photographic study of the Urban Wilds as they exist today. My goal is document what remains, and to highlight the enduring impact of this landmark conservation program.
Cover to the original 1976 Boston Urban Wilds Study