What’s new at Savin?

The Savin Hill Wildlife Garden is officially open to the public as of 2022! Planting and development was completed in late 2021. The space is now filled with young trees, shrubs, flowers and other perennials (most of whom made it through their first Boston winter!) and is maintained by a steadfast group of stewards. In May, they hosted a “Spring Welcome” for neighbors and community members to visit the space and pitch in with some routine weeding and cleanup. Many more events are to come in this beautiful space.

About

The Savin Hill Wildlife Garden was initiated in 2017 and collaboratively built in 2021 by dedicated neighbors, Boston Food Forest Coalition, the City of Boston’s Grassroots Program, and Restoring Roots Cooperative. Today, this unique garden on Savin Hill is a place where neighbors can engage with the natural world. With the intention to nourish birds, wildlife, and the human spirit, this space it is maintained collectively by volunteer stewards as a part of the Boston Food Forest Coalition community land trust.

History

In 2017, a group of interested Savin Hill neighbors got together to discuss the creation a green space in what had become an abandoned, empty space and an eyesore in the neighborhood. Many ideas as to what the space could become were presented, but the overall consensus from these early meetings was to make it into something of which neighbors and residents could be proud. After much planning and collaboration, development and planting of the Savin Hill Wildlife Garden occurred in 2021. Over the years, the stewardship team has grown to include a handful of dedicated, highly-engaged neighbors who are invested in this space becoming the oasis they’ve dreamt it can be — and it’s well on its way!

As Told By Stewards…

What goals do you have for this food forest?

Our goal for the Savin Hill space is to create a well-cared for and respected area, a space where neighbors can go to appreciate the natural beauty in this community. Ideally, neighbors will leave the space feeling a sense of responsibility for this and other green spaces around them.

We are lucky to already have many amazing outdoor spaces in the Savin Hill area, each with its own unique features. The Savin Hill Wildlife Garden is meant to be a natural space where native plants and species can thrive, providing a sustainable habitat for birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife. Our hope is that the wildlife garden becomes a space for our community to come together, nurture the return of native species, and contribute what we can to climate resilience in the city. 

What does joyful stewardship mean to you?

For our team, joyful stewardship means tuning into each other’s strength and weakness and respecting everybody’s individuality as we work together as a team on a mission.

What has been the biggest accomplishment of your stewardship team so far?

Our biggest accomplishment so far has been simply doing what we’ve talked about doing! Our first meeting was in August of 2017, and we haven’t let up on our ambitions or our visions since.

While we're still in the very early stages of the project, the continued effort of our core group is encouraging. We need more involvement and interest (i.e. volunteers), which will probably come once people see the development progress being made by the Restoring Roots team.

Our hope is that we attract young people buying into the neighborhood with the intention of staying here, so that there is continuity on the team of people who will care for the site over the years.

Contact: SavinHillgreenspace@gmail.com