• Lush vegetation on the top of Spectacle Island's North drumlin dominates the foreground. Boston's skyline can be seen in the distance. The park's logo with tag line minutes away, worlds apart empashises the stark contrast between the city and islands.

    Boston Harbor Islands

    National Recreation Area Massachusetts

Lichens

A survey of the Boston Harbor Islands national park area yielded 175 lichen species in 67 genera, and 70 bryophyte species in 44 genera. Ten percent of the lichens represent a maritime floristic element, and 4% represent a coastal plain element. Caloplaca verruculifera, an orange lichen of rocky shores, is reported new for Massachusetts. Human disturbance and air pollution seem to be the major factors limiting the colonization of lichens and bryophytes on the islands, and specific recommendations for protecting sensitive lichen and bryophyte communities are presented. (Lagreca S, Lay E, Greene D, Kneiper E, Lincoln M (2005) The Lichens and Bryophytes of the Boston Harbor Islands. Northeastern Naturalist: Vol. 12, No. sp3 pp. 77–98)

Did You Know?

Vintage Aerial View of Boston Light

Boston Light Station, part of Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, is visited every year by the Flying Santa, a long-time New England tradition started by William Wincapaw in 1929. The Flying Santa delivers food, toys, and other necessities to lighthouses across New England. More...