{"id":10904,"date":"2018-04-23T10:26:48","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T14:26:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=10904"},"modified":"2018-05-08T11:39:54","modified_gmt":"2018-05-08T15:39:54","slug":"a-focus-on-land-conservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/a-focus-on-land-conservation\/","title":{"rendered":"A Focus on Land Conservation"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the largest private landowner in Massachusetts, you may wonder why we continue to seek out additional open space to protect. When it comes to conserving land, we look at many characteristics of a property, especially if it contains priority habitat, acts as a wildlife corridor, or will be resilient in the face of climate change.<\/p>\n

We also look for property that protects or enhances habitat or visitor experience at existing wildlife sanctuaries. Three recent acquisitions exemplify how we take these principles and put them into action.<\/p>\n

\"Land

Lime Kiln Farm in Sheffield<\/p><\/div>\n

Priority Habitat<\/h3>\n

There are 169 species of animals and 258 species of plants that\u00a0are protected\u00a0under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act.\u00a0These 427 native species\u00a0are either at risk, or may become at risk, of extinction. In order to protect these species, we need to protect the land they are found on, which is deemed priority habitat.<\/p>\n

Success Story<\/strong>: The recent donation of 15 acres in Richmond added land that is deemed to be priority habitat for several Sedges (a flowering plant) and the Jefferson Salamander, and a critical connection for bears, beavers, and birds travelling to and from the Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary<\/a> which abuts this property on the east.<\/p>\n

Wildlife Corridor<\/h3>\n

The linkage across open lands and occasionally through culverts under roadways that joins two or more areas of similar\u00a0wildlife\u00a0habitat is known as a wildlife corridor.\u00a0Corridors\u00a0are critical to allow for the movement of animals and survival of healthy animal communities.<\/p>\n

Mass Audubon works to link priority habitat to support the safe passage of wildlife. The conditions and habitats that enable animals to move and thrive are the same ones that enable people to weather storms, live off the land, and enjoy a constant supply of clean water.\u00a0Larger, unfragmented tracts of forests help counter global warming, absorb precipitation into groundwater reservoirs, and provide for sustainable forestry.<\/p>\n

Success Story<\/strong>: We recently purchased 52 acres in Northampton that provide a wildlife corridor, connecting Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary<\/a> to the Rocky Hill Greenway in Northampton.<\/p>\n

Climate Resilience<\/h3>\n

Effects of climate change are moderated by complex topography, dense wetlands, and unpaved open spaces. Complex topography means a variety of elevations and a combination of forests, fields and swamps, buffers against climate change, giving most species a better chance to survive.<\/p>\n

Success Story<\/strong>: This spring, we added 120 acres of fields, forests, and wetlands to Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary<\/a> in Sheffield. These acres add to the protected habitat and \u00a0corridors for wildlife in the Housatonic watershed.\u00a0 The complex topography in this Sanctuary provides resilience against extreme changes in temperature and rainfall.<\/p>\n

These new additions to our wildlife sanctuaries will enhance visitors\u2019 experiences with greater exposure to natural wonders and habitats.<\/p>\n

Learn more about Mass Audubon’s land conservation efforts ><\/a><\/p>\n

Written by Kate Buttolph, Land Protection Specialist<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the largest private landowner in Massachusetts, you may wonder why we continue to seek out additional open space to protect. When it comes to conserving land, we look at many characteristics of a property, especially if it contains priority habitat, acts as a wildlife corridor, or will be resilient in the face of climate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10912,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-land-protection"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/Land600.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-2PS","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3254,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/special-alert-victory-for-endangered-species\/","url_meta":{"origin":10904,"position":0},"title":"Special Alert – Victory for Endangered Species","author":"Hillary T.","date":"February 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"From our Advocacy Department: We are happy to report that yesterday, in response to a lawsuit filed against the Commonwealth's regulatory use of priority habitat screening to protect endangered species, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled unanimously to affirm the state's authority under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA). The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Advocacy"","block_context":{"text":"Advocacy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/advocacy-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/02\/plover-USFWS-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14875,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/planting-a-forest-with-the-climate-in-mind\/","url_meta":{"origin":10904,"position":1},"title":"Planting a Forest with the Climate in Mind","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"November 6, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"More than 50 volunteers turned out in the last days of a mild October to help restore a floodplain forest at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Northampton. Together, these nature heroes planted around 1,500 of the 2,000 trees and shrubs going in the ground before winter. Volunteer at Arcadia In this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"volunteer planting a tree at Arcadia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/PXL_20201024_193516319.PORTRAIT-01.COVER-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/PXL_20201024_193516319.PORTRAIT-01.COVER-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/PXL_20201024_193516319.PORTRAIT-01.COVER-750.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/PXL_20201024_193516319.PORTRAIT-01.COVER-750.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8403,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/gobble-gobble-save-the-date\/","url_meta":{"origin":10904,"position":2},"title":"Gobble Gobble…Save the Date","author":"Hillary T.","date":"November 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"At this time of year, it's typical to have turkey on our minds. But did you know that wild turkeys\u2014now a common fixture in our woods, suburbs, and even cities\u2014were once almost extinct in Massachusetts? Keep reading... When Europeans first settled in this area, wild turkeys were plentiful. With an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/11\/Wild_turkey_USFishandWildlife.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/11\/Wild_turkey_USFishandWildlife.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/11\/Wild_turkey_USFishandWildlife.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2885,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/action-alert-mass-endangered-species-act\/","url_meta":{"origin":10904,"position":3},"title":"Action Alert: Mass Endangered Species Act","author":"Hillary T.","date":"October 31, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Efforts to repeal the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) are once again underway, and we need your help! On Monday, November 4, the\u00a0Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture\u00a0will hold a hearing that includes two bills Mass Audubon strongly opposes. These bills would result in a repeal of endangered\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Advocacy"","block_context":{"text":"Advocacy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/advocacy-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eastern box turtle by Joy Marzolf","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/06\/Eastern-box-turtle-looking-web.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15773,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/protecting-endangered-species-at-mass-audubon\/","url_meta":{"origin":10904,"position":4},"title":"Protecting Endangered Species at Mass Audubon","author":"William Freedberg","date":"May 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Mass Audubon protects dozens of endangered species with different strategies from habitat protection, science-based management plans, and advocacy. Here are just a few of the ways we\u2019re watching out for rare and declining wildlife. 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This volume of projects reflects the strong commitment to land conservation that is articulated in Mass Audubon\u2019s Action Agenda, which calls for accelerated land protection activity both for land\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Land Protection"","block_context":{"text":"Land Protection","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/land-protection\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/01\/4005Paul_Sullivan16456_750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/01\/4005Paul_Sullivan16456_750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/01\/4005Paul_Sullivan16456_750.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/01\/4005Paul_Sullivan16456_750.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10904"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10977,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10904\/revisions\/10977"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}