The 24 acres that makeup Bussey Brook Meadow, a part of the Arnold Arboretum located between the Forest Hills MBTA Station and the Arboretum’s South Street Gate, are preserved with minimal human interference as a site for research into the complex interactions that characterize urban environments. Protected through the Arboretum’s indenture and not subject to loss from future development, this “urban wild” supports studies in a range of disciplines, generating abundant data about the ecological functioning of a modern city.

A walk down the Blackwell Footpath in the Arboretum’s Bussey Brook Meadow presents opportunities to observe a spontaneous wildflower meadow, a flourishing wetland, and a diversity of both native and introduced plants and animals. In 1996, the Arboretum Park Conservancy partnered with the Arboretum to preserve this landscape, assembled from neglected parcels of land that formerly belonged to the MBTA, the City of Boston, and Harvard University. Under the current management regimen, the meadow serves as a site where Arboretum scientists and visiting scholars can document long-term changes in plant succession and measure ecosystem functions including vegetation structure, wildlife abundance, phenology, and biogeochemical cycling.

A 281-acre preserve in the heart of Boston, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University stewards one of the world’s most comprehensive and best-documented collections of temperate woody plants, with a particular focus on the floras of eastern North America and eastern Asia. The living collections, herbarium, and library and archives support research both in the laboratories at Weld Hill and by scholars around the world. Free and open every day, this jewel in the Emerald Necklace park system was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and engages the public through educational opportunities and programs for all ages.

The arboretum, a landscape featuring over 15,000 accessioned plants, is open daily. Whether you are coming for a stroll, on the lookout for wildlife, or interested in learning the stories and science behind plants, the arboretum is accessible and offers something for everyone. Explore virtual walks, guided tours, Expeditions mobile app, and digital learning resources.