In Your Words: Jocelyn Forbush

It’s an honor to take on the Chief Conservation Officer position at Mass Audubon—the first role of its kind in an organization that has a long legacy of conservation leadership and a tremendously talented team of naturalists, educators, and advocates. 

This is a critical moment for our climate, communities, and wildlife that requires us all to work together for our future. I’m excited to bring to it collaborative leadership, optimism, and an instinct for action, along with a deep love of our natural communities here in the state. 

I come to Mass Audubon after a two-decade conservation journey at The Trustees of Reservations. From my first role there as Junior Land Conservation Specialist through my final stretch as Executive Vice President, I had the opportunity to conserve, restore, and care for an extraordinary scope of special places in Massachusetts, including gorgeous coastal landscapes, rural hilltops, and favorite community gathering spots in several of our Gateway Cities. 

It was through this work that I fell in love with our region’s natural and cultural landscapes. I learned that none of this work can be done without true collaboration. It is also where I developed an ambition to ensure that fresh air, natural beauty, and other benefits of a healthy environment are accessible to everyone. 

As I look ahead, I am excited by our Action Agenda, which is inspiring and ambitious. It challenges all of us to find and advance innovative, creative solutions and forge new partnerships to achieve our goals. I am so looking forward to working with my colleagues and the broader conservation community here in Massachusetts and beyond—and all of you—to embrace these new challenges.