The Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild consists of 10.5 acres of forested wetland habitat. The area serves as a storm water drainage outfall from the whole Longfellow Area neighborhood. The low-lying area was likely a glacial kettle hole, or a depression left when an ice block from a retreating glacier melts. 

Depending on recent rainfall, the wetlands can be a near-lake or a lush woodland. Natural habitats include red maple/shrub swamp, sedge meadow, and forested woodland. The area was previously overrun with invasive plant species, including multiflora rose, Japanese knotweed, and buckthorn. A City-funded restoration effort coupled with neighborhood efforts have vastly improved the area's ecology.

Animal species living in the wetlands include salamanders, opossum, raccoons, fishers, muskrats, and foxes. Owls, pheasants, and red-tailed hawks have been sighted there, as well as deer and coyotes. Along with the Arnold Arboretum, Allandale Woods, and other tracts, the Wetlands are a link in an extensive and important wildlife corridor for species that must wander widely.

The Roslindale Wetlands have always served as an important natural storm runoff collection area for the surrounding neighborhood. Rainwater flows downhill to the low-lying wetlands where it percolates through the soil, making its way to the Charles River near the VFW Parkway and then to Boston Harbor.

The Boston Water & Sewer Commission has several rights of way across the land, on which it maintains buried pipes and other structures to route excess water into its regional drainage system. 

Pets and their waste

Leashed dogs are welcome. Unleashed dogs can (and have) come into conflict with wildlife. Dog owners, don't forget to pick up and remove any waste by taking it away with you. Bacteria from pet waste harm the Wetlands ecosystem.

Yard waste

Leaf litter from yards often contains seeds of invasive plants that can grow in the wetlands and suppress native species. Don't risk significant financial penalties (up to $5,500 for the first offense) for dumping material in a conservation area. Instead, bag it up, and the City will collect it for free and have it composted.

Pesticides and other chemicals

Pesticides, nitrogen from lawn fertilizer, road salt, and other pollutants enter the wetlands when rain washes them from yards and streets, leading to a negative impact on water quality in the Wetlands. 

Choice of plants for your yard

If you are a close neighbor of the Wetlands, choose native plants for your yard and garden. Wildlife and the elements can carry seeds from non-native plant species into the Wetlands .

Donations of plants

Occasionally, neighbors will offer us seedlings or plants for the Wetlands. Any new plants must be natives and must be approved by City of Boston Urban Wilds staff. Use a plant identification app such as iNaturalist to find out the Latin name and native range to determine suitability.

Give back

If you enjoy the Wetlands, give back by joining a Serve & Learn event or contributing to the Tree Fund to ensure that the space remains healthy for generations to come. 

In the late nineteenth century, the wetlands were divided up into house lots, anticipating future development. An 1896 map shows paper streets passing through the area.

• See the 1896 map

The Roslindale Wetlands Task Force was formed at a 2003 community meeting in response to a developer's proposal to build a new subdivision in the wet meadow behind 104 Walter Street. After more than two decades of neighborhood activism, a plan was enacted to conserve the undeveloped area and to build four units of affordable ownership housing at 104 Walter Street.

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