Pope John Paul II Park Reservation
Encyclopedia
Pope John Paul II Park Reservation, also known as Pope Park, is a 66 acres (267,092.8 m²) Massachusetts
state park
located in Dorchester
. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation
(DCR). The park has been reclaimed from former use as site of a landfill
and the Neponset Drive-In as part of the Lower Neponset River Master Plan.
The park borders the Neponset River
and DCR has restored a salt marsh
area and planted native trees and shrubs. The area now attracts an increased variety of birds to the habitat, including Snowy Egret
s and Great Blue Heron
s.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located in Dorchester
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation
Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts)
The Department of Conservation and Recreation 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. As of May 24, 2011 the Commissioner of the DCR is Edward M. Lambert, Jr...
(DCR). The park has been reclaimed from former use as site of a landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
and the Neponset Drive-In as part of the Lower Neponset River Master Plan.
Description
The park provides open space for fields, picnicking and playgrounds. The park includes a number of walking trails, and the Lower Neponset River Trail winds through the park.The park borders the Neponset River
Neponset River
The Neponset River is a river in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The headwaters of the Neponset are at the Neponset Reservoir in Foxborough, near the Gillette Stadium...
and DCR has restored a salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
area and planted native trees and shrubs. The area now attracts an increased variety of birds to the habitat, including Snowy Egret
Snowy Egret
The Snowy Egret is a small white heron. It is the American counterpart to the very similar Old World Little Egret, which has established a foothold in the Bahamas....
s and Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
s.
Recreational opportunities
- Soccer
- Running
- Fishing
- Bird Watching
- Hiking
- Playground
- Restrooms
- Picnic
