Iroquois Woods is the woodland on the north slope of Mission Hill that abuts the New England Baptist parking lot across Parker Hill Avenue from the Parker Hilltop. It runs along the south side of Iroquois St. from Oswald St. “a paper street” to its intersection with Sachem Street. The area is under a 40-year conservation restriction signed in 2000 by the Hospital.

The Friends of Iroquois Woods with multiple volunteers from community service programs have maintained the site and its trails. The thick canopy, in which more than two-thirds of the trees were either Norway or Sycamore maples, was thinned. Pockets of light were created to plant a diversity of native trees. A striking difference in the existence of an understory is apparent at the border between the restored and maple-dominated areas. Of special interest is an area that is wet nearly half the year. Here black willow, pussy willow, tupelo, spicebush, summer sweet, and red osier dogwood are thriving.

The path along the fence at the top of the site is sunny and meadow-like with slow-growing white pine, slippery elm, sumac, and crabapple. It provides a study in contrast to the darker woods below.