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New Wildlife Sanctuary Created at La Salette in Attleboro

ATTLEBORO, Mass.-One hundred and seventeen acres of the La Salette Shrine off Park Street was permanently dedicated as a wildlife sanctuary in late June 2009, thanks to the generosity of the La Salette community and a strong collaboration among local officials and conservation leaders.

A partnership involving the City of Attleboro, Mass Audubon, and the Attleboro Land Trust began working with La Salette in 2006 to protect the property and provide for its future. Effective in late June 2009, the land was permanently protected by a conservation restriction held by the City of Attleboro and the Attleboro Land Trust. Mass Audubon will manage this diverse landscape, which will be known as Attleboro Springs Wildlife Sanctuary at La Salette.

In recognition of the occasion, Fr. Roger Plante of La Salette said, "The Shrine Community is especially proud to have been part of the collaboration that resulted in the Attleboro Springs Wildlife Sanctuary. Thanks to that community effort the public will now enjoy in perpetuity the benefits of this beautiful wildlife sanctuary."

The property contains upland oak woods, red maple swamps, streams, vernal pools, a field, and a pond. The quality of its wildlife habitat led the Commonwealth to designate the property several years ago as among the most important for preservation of the state's biodiversity. Notable wildlife include spotted turtles, several species of dragonflies and damselflies, a variety of amphibians, and forest-interior birds, such as the wood thrush and ovenbird. Several trails wind through the property and allow exploration of the property's diverse natural and historical features.

"The City of Attleboro is very much a willing partner with the Shrine of Our Lady of LaSalette and LaSalette Seminary Corporation, Massachusetts Audubon Society and the Attleboro Land Trust to enter into a Conservation Deed Restriction to protect 117 acres of open space in perpetuity and offers this invaluable legacy to future generations to come," said Mayor Kevin Dumas.

Over the next year Mass Audubon will complete planning for the sanctuary and will construct trails, boardwalks, and a parking area to make the property more accessible for the public's enjoyment. The formal opening of Attleboro Springs Wildlife Sanctuary at La Salette is planned for 2010.

"This is an extraordinary opportunity to protect an important natural area just a mile from the center of Attleboro," said Mass Audubon President Laura Johnson. "We are incredibly grateful to the La Salette community for their generosity and vision, and to the City of Attleboro and the Attleboro Land Trust for their partnership in making this happen. This is a great example of how organizations with a common vision can work together to create something of lasting public and environmental benefit."

The property also has a long and rich history. It was purchased by La Salette in 1942 for use as a seminary. For many years prior to that it was operated as a sanitarium, envisioned and built by Dr. James Solomon, who used spring waters and medicinal herbs on the property for their healing purposes.

"We're thrilled to be partners with the brothers of La Salette, Mass Audubon and the City of Attleboro in protecting this great property, which contains some of the core wildlife habitat in Massachusetts," noted Ted Leach, president of the Attleboro Land Trust. "This will be an outstanding teaching site where future generations of Attleboro schoolchildren can learn all the wonderful lessons that nature can teach them. The brothers of La Salette have made a wonderful gift to posterity that will ensure that the property will forever be available for quiet contemplation as both a religious and natural refuge."

The partners raised a total of $785,000 for the project, including a $495,000 state grant and $290,000 in private fundraising. Some of these funds will be used by Mass Audubon to construct trails, boardwalks, and a parking area for the new sanctuary. The remainder will be set aside as an endowment to provide an ongoing source of income for the property's management and interpretation.

The state grant was provided by the Commonwealth's LAND (Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity) program, which provides assistance to municipalities for purchase of land and conservation restrictions. Private support came from a number of foundations and individuals, including the Attleboro Foundation, Bafflin Foundation, Bristol County Charitable Foundation, Ernest H. Augat Charitable Foundation, Fields Pond Foundation, Fred M. Roddy Foundation, George H. and Jane A. Mifflin Memorial Trust, the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, Ottmar Foundation, and the Roddy-Holden Foundation. No city funds were used, a condition that the partners agreed to early on.

The partners were introduced to each other in 2006 by the Religious Lands Conservancy, a joint program of the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition and the Crystal Spring Center for Earth Living (a project of the Dominican Sisters of Kentucky). The Conservancy works to bring together religious communities and land conservationists to preserve properties that both groups value for their natural, scenic, and ecological value. Kathy McGrath and Sister Chris Loughlin were instrumental in bringing the parties together and incubating the idea that led to the new sanctuary.

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Mass Audubon works to protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and wildlife. Together with more than 100,000 members, we care for 34,000 acres of conservation land, provide educational programs for 200,000 children and adults annually, and advocate for sound environmental policies at local, state, and federal levels. Mass Audubon's mission and actions have expanded since our beginning in 1896 when our founders set out to stop the slaughter of birds for use on women's fashions. Today we are the largest conservation organization in New England. Our statewide network of 47 wildlife sanctuaries welcomes visitors of all ages and serves as the base for our conservation, education, and advocacy work. To support these important efforts, call 800-AUDUBON (283-8266) or visit www.massaudubon.org.