There's a salt marsh in Boston where you can see more than 200 species of birds
"You can be out there on the main street then you come in here and you're in a different place in a different time," said Heather Famico of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
"It's a place you can come to look at birds. We have over 200 species. You can come for a walk. You can look at the skyline. You can look at the planes overhead if that's your type of bird" Famico said.
Much of Boston used to be marshland like this, including the Back Bay, South Bay, Mill Pond and more. Those areas were filled in, and Belle Isle almost suffered the same fate in the 1980s.
"This area was looked at to be developed, and the people of East Boston said 'no we don't want that,'" said Kannan Thiruvengadam with the non-profit organization Friends of Belle Isle.
Why are salt marshes important?
Salt marshes provide a buffer against storm surge and coastal erosion. They also provide other benefits.
"Along with climate crisis and a loss of biodiversity we have a rising mental health crisis in our society. You come to a space like this, you calm down, you destress, you feel better" Thiruvengadam said.
Despite the public benefit and conservation status, the marsh is under constant threat.
"Between the rising seas and rising buildings, what is the marsh supposed to do? It goes through what we call a coastal squeeze or coastal pinch. Eventually we will not have a Belle Isle Marsh, we will have a Belle Isle Bay," Thiruvengadam said.
While DCR maintains the marsh, Thiruvengadam said the best way for the public to get involved is to visit.
"It's a cool oasis in a hot city. We need this. We need to be out here, enjoying, appreciating, advocating and learning what it is that we need so we can then protect it," Thiruvengadam said.
DCR offers programming at the reservation. For more information, click here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
22 Mind-Blowing Photos That You Might Think Are Photoshopped But Are 1,000% Real
puddle reflecting the sun: kidney stone's shape: cactus that shows when its owner stopped smoking: Related: surprisingly long flame from a lighter: teeny, tiny banana: banana that's three-in-one: enourmous leaf: huge lunar moth: Related: ginormous balls of hail: sight of a wind farm from a flying plane: braided carrots: THREE shadows under FOUR seats: Related: trippy clouds: tree that grew around a street sign: veins that are sunken instead of raised: egg that was seemingly bloody once it was cracked open: clouds that were partially orange: Related: net roof covered in snow of the aviary in a zoo: tree's shadow that stopped snow from completely melting off the roof: skull of a cougar found in the woods: frozen spider web: finally, these clouds that suddenly dip: Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds:
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Blind dog's arrival to rescue leaves workers worried
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — The arrival of a 6-year-old blind dog has workers at the Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center asking for help. An unidentified person delivered the dog named Raven to the center in a kennel early Thursday afternoon. Story continues below Top Story: USD moving medical school to Sioux Falls Lights & Sirens: Nebraska officials recover body from Missouri River between Macy and Decatur Sports: Denison native Brandon Scherff announces NFL retirement after ten seasons Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here The good Samaritan told the shelter they found the dog along the side of the road and then left before workers could get additional information. The shelter has more questions than answers. 'We're actively looking for the community's help to try and find out who the person is that abandoned this dog along the roadway. It's very, very hot today, and it wouldn't have taken long, would have succumbed to this heat,' said Rarrat. Center officials say if anyone has information about this, please call them. Their number is: (712) 279-6968. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Lodi town hall shows potential solutions to dangerous intersection
Turner Road in Lodi, which runs through town and connects Highway 99 to Interstate 5, is a major thoroughfare, but some neighbors are worried about their safety on the road they use every day. The intersection of California Street and Turner Road is where the next steps for improvement could come from. Lodi city officials and community members packed into Vintage Church on Thursday to try and find a solution — something cost-effective and how to make driving safer. Thousands of cars, trucks and people go through Turner Road every day. "I think the most productive thing out of this meeting is really to get the ball rolling, start the conversation," said Pastor Timothy Stewart. Pastor Stewart opened his doors at Vintage Church for the community meeting, this time with more progress. "The proposal of a pork chop for Edgewood and California off of Turner Road, I think it would have some impact to people's routine. I think overall it'll improve safety," said Stewart. A pork chop, which is a type of traffic island, will force drivers trying to get onto Turner Road from California Street to the south and Edgewood to the north to only make right turns. Councilmember Lisa Craig-Hensley answered questions from the public and said this is a top priority for her district. "Give me some options. Let me respond to something and then what are we looking for in the future, it's not just about how we're dealing with quick fixes today. It's about down the road," she said. Craig-Hensley said anything the community can see as an improvement for fewer accidents. "I think people want to be safe. First and foremost, we want our children to be safe> We want our parents to be safe. My mother-in-law lives in this neighborhood," she said. That proposal still has to be presented to the public and then voted on by the council. Each pork chop would cost about $50,000 to $75,000.
