Family on boardwalk Join today and get outside at one of our 60+ wildlife sanctuaries.
Family on boardwalk Join today and get outside at one of our 60+ wildlife sanctuaries.
Salt marsh at Rough Meadows copyright Alan Ward
Rough Meadows © Alan Ward

Resilient Lands

Resilient landscapes are large, connected lands that provide unique, long-term benefits for people and wildlife.

A resilient landscape hosts healthy, diverse habitats and migratory corridors for wildlife. It provides clean air, clean water, and recreation opportunities. Resilient landscapes can also adapt to or mitigate the effects of climate change.

Now more than ever, we need to focus on fostering resilient landscapes.

Why Resilient Landscapes Matter

The natural resources of Massachusetts face daunting challenges from development, climate change, and other factors.

We could see a proliferation of invasive species, an increase in costly natural disasters, and even compromised air and water quality. For the health of people and wildlife, Mass Audubon is taking a comprehensive approach.

What We're Doing to Support Resilient Lands

Mass Audubon is a leading environmental nonprofit organization fostering resilient landscapes. We've identified key natural areas in the state, such as forests, coastal watersheds, and river corridors to focus our efforts. These areas offer the most significant ecological benefits when managed for resiliency.

Our three-pronged approach includes protecting land from development, restoring habitat health, and stewarding land for long-term success.

Land that was protected in 2020 at Great Neck Wildlife Sanctuary
Great Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

Land Protection

Mass Audubon protects more than 41,000 acres across the state.

Staff and volunteers in the salt marsh digging runnels
Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, South Dartmouth

Ecological Restoration

Strategic habitat restoration techniques support biological diversity and healthy wildlife habitats.

TD Volunteers Planting Trees at the BNC

Ongoing Stewardship

Through comprehensive ecological management plans, we foster long-term habitat health for future generations.

View of mountains at sunset in North Adams
2021 Photo Contest Winner Landscapes @ Eric Dubreuil

30x30 Catalyst Fund

Mass Audubon created the 30x30 Catalyst Fund to enable us to move quickly in protecting 30% of Massachusetts' land, in particular the most biodiverse and carbon-rich lands that are also at risk of development.

Get the Details

Priority Habitats

Sunset at Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary © Paul Mozell
© Paul Mozell

Coastal

We protect, manage, and restore salt marshes, bird breeding islands, beaches, and coastal uplands.

green forest with trails
Road's End Wildlife Sanctuary, Worthington

Forests

Forests of various ages provide many ecological services and require different management strategies.

Eastern Meadowlark by David Larson
Eastern Meadowlark (Photo: David Larson)

Grasslands

We develop sustainable management practices for grasslands.

Working with Community Partners

Our land protection strategy complements existing plans from federal, state, and partner organizations. We are amplifying the impact of our collective actions by advocating for more funding focused on land conservation and land restoration.

Mass Audubon also helps private landowners incorporate resilient land management strategies that benefit both the economy and the environment.

Our Impact

Working with partners, we've dramatically expanded our efforts to protect, restore, and steward the state’s most important natural lands.

  • 41,000

    Acres of land Mass Audubon currently protects

  • 1,000

    Acres of wetland restoration in progress

  • 66,888

    Acres of land with bird-friendly and climate-smart land management plans

Featured Stories

  • Pond surrounded by green foliage on left and right
    Hawes Hill

    MathWorks Makes a Transformational Gift

    MathWorks, the leading developer of mathematical computing software, has given Mass Audubon a $25 million gift to help protect and restore the Commonwealth’s most valuable natural lands.  

  • Green ferns cover the ground in a forest. Tree trunks of various sizes are seen throughout the picture.
    Flat Rock, Fitchburg

    Seeing the Forest Through the Trees

    Mass Audubon uses carefully designed, evidence-based management practices to care for 25,000 acres of forests across the state.

  • Allens Pond salt marsh with a water channel
    © Darya Zelentsova

    Coastal Resilience

    Mass Audubon’s approach to Coastal Resilience uses climate adaptation and nature-based climate solutions to focus on the protection, management, and restoration of four coastal priority habitats.

  • green forest with trails
    Road's End Wildlife Sanctuary, Worthington

    Resilient Forests

    Forests are the defining feature of New England’s landscape and their benefits to people and wildlife are unmistakable. 

  • Group of people holding shovels between to solar panels
    Boston Nature Center Net Zero Groundbreaking

    Policy Priorities

    Learn about all the bills we're backing this year, then join us in advocating for a transformative policy agenda! 

  • marsh with water and cloudy blue sky
    © Julie Archibald

    Mass Audubon's Losing Ground Report

    An extensive analysis of the pace and patterns of land development and land protection in Massachusetts between 2012 and 2017.

  • Two solar panel arrays behind a field of shrubs
    Solar Panels at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox

    New Report Shows We Can Build Solar Energy While Conserving Nature

    Researchers found that Massachusetts has enough space to build three to four times as much solar energy as our climate targets project we’ll need by 2050. 

Latest News

See all news
A view of the Connecticut River and adjacent farms in fall
Press Release October 24, 2024

Mass Audubon and Partners Receive $25M Federal Grant to Protect 10,000 acres in Connecticut River Watershed

Learn More
Close up of saltmarsh sparrow
Saltmarsh Sparrow
News October 16, 2024

Saving the Saltmarsh Sparrow

Keep Reading
A river running through the trees, over rocks
News September 12, 2024

Landowners Donate Conservation Restriction on 154 Acres in Windsor

Keep Reading
Three young adults kneeling on a boardwalk
Broadmoor

Take Action

We need your curiosity, commitment, and passion to ensure that our lands become more resilient, that more people than ever experience the magic of nature, and that we fight climate change—now and in the future.

Become a Member

Make a lasting impact for people and wildlife.

Join Today

Advocate

Help bring about nature-based climate solutions.

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