Belle Isle Marsh Reservation in

East Boston East Boston, nicknamed Eastie, is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts annexed by the city of Boston in 1637. Neighboring communities include Winthrop, Revere, and Chelsea. It is separated from the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown and d ...

, Suffolk County, Massachusetts is an urban nature preserve and public recreation area containing mostly coastal wetlands. The 350-acre (1.4 km²) Reservation includes the largest remaining

salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is domin ...

in the Boston area. The marsh also borders the towns of Revere and Winthrop. It was once a Metropolitan District Commission reservation, but it is now run by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. It is a reserve for a variety of

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''Biota (ecology ...

Salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is domin ...

es were once prevalent along the

Massachusetts Bay Massachusetts Bay is a bay on the Gulf of Maine that forms part of the central coastline of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Description The bay extends from Cape Ann on the north to Plymouth Harbor on the south, a distance of about . Its ...

shoreline A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past a ...

. The marsh is home to a wide variety of saltmarsh plants, marine life, and birds. The reservation is managed by the

Department of Conservation and Recreation The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission is ...

History

Although it is now connected to the mainland, Belle Isle was formerly an actual island. It was granted in 1628 to William Brereton, who named it Susana Island in honor of his daughter. It was later referred to as Hog Island or Hogg Island on maps, before it was purchased by Joseph Russel near the end of the 18th century, who named it Belle Isle. In 1800, it was purchased by John Breed, who lived on the island, which was then referred to as Breed's Island. Part of the island is now developed as

Orient Heights Orient Heights is a historic section of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is commonly considered part of East Boston; it is Boston's northernmost and northeasternmost neighborhood. The neighborhood sits on a hill, which measures 152 fee ...

; much of the remainder is Belle Isle Marsh.

Activities and amenities

Features of the reservation include landscaped hiking paths, benches, an observation tower, and handicap access. A portion of the

Boston Harborwalk Boston Harborwalk is a public walkway that follows the edge of piers, wharves, beaches, and shoreline around Boston Harbor. When fully completed it will extend a distance of from East Boston to the Neponset River. History The Harborwalk is a coo ...

runs through the reservation.

Gallery

File:BelleIsleMarsh1Alc.JPG, View of the marsh File:Belle Isle Marsh P1110357.jpg, Homes in Revere adjacent to the marsh File:Belle Isle Marsh P1110371.jpg, From the observation tower File:Belle Isle Marsh P1110366.jpg, Great egrets File:Belle Isle Marsh P1110376.jpg, Marsh with Boston skyline in the distance

References

External links

Belle Isle Marsh Reservation
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Belle Isle Marsh Reservation Map
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Friends of Belle Isle Marsh
{{authority control State parks of Massachusetts Parks in Boston East Boston Protected areas established in 1985 1985 establishments in Massachusetts