Preserving wild, urban spaces has been a priority in Boston for many years now, and a series of 40-plus such properties throughout the city have been home to native plants, trees and wild animals.
It’s not a park.
It’s not green space.
It’s a “wild” thing.
In Roslindale, residents can get a taste of that Urban Wild landscape at the Selwyn Street Urban Wild – also known as the Roslindale Wetlands – adjacent to the Arnold Arboretum. In fact, residents and friends of the Selwyn Street property are coming together Saturday, May 11, to clean, beautify and enjoy the wild space in an urban setting.
The Selwyn property is about two blocks square in size.
“With all of the bustle of urban life and developed areas, these are areas where the community has agreed to preserve the natural environment with trees, native plants and animals,” said David Corbie, Greenovate Boston Outreach Director. “These areas help a lot with the natural environment and help our health. Boston is very dense and places like this can be so inspiring.”
On May 11, Corbie and community members will come together to remove trash and invasive species in the Selwyn Urban Wild. The clean-up will take place from 9 a.m. to noon.
“We’re going to be removing a lot of invasive species out of there that are non-native to the area and replace them with native species,” Corbie said. “It’s going to be completely community driven and giving residents the chance to remove these non-native species and beautify the area by picking up a lot of the trash that tends to accumulate on these Urban Wild locations. It’s an activity that cares for the environment and helps with climate change, and at the same time allows people to see the fruits of their labor firsthand.”
Corbie said Greenovate will also be sponsoring a cleanup of the Allandale Woods Urban Wild in June.