{"id":16007,"date":"2021-07-07T14:55:44","date_gmt":"2021-07-07T18:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=16007"},"modified":"2021-07-07T15:01:54","modified_gmt":"2021-07-07T19:01:54","slug":"protected-three-critical-land-successes-including-1400-acres-in-west-springfield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/protected-three-critical-land-successes-including-1400-acres-in-west-springfield\/","title":{"rendered":"Protected! Three Critical Land Successes Including 1,400 Acres"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mass Audubon\u2019s recently released Action Agenda<\/a> highlights the importance of protecting land and the ecological services it provides to people and wildlife. The Resilient Landscapes goal specifically focuses on working with partners to conserve an additional 150,000 acres of the Commonwealth\u2019s most important and biodiverse habitats, bringing the percentage of protected land in the state to 30%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three recent land conservation success stories, including the remarkable protection of the 1,400-acre Bear Hole Landscape in West Springfield, are great examples of this goal in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1,400 Acres at Bear Hole Landscape  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Bear Hole Tree Canopy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The 1,400-acre Bear Hole Landscape, a critical link in an extensive wildlife corridor that extends from central Connecticut to the Holyoke Range, is now conserved forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After years of working with many partners across the state, Mass Audubon and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation purchased a Conservation Restriction (CR) from the Town of West Springfield that permanently \u201cretires\u201d the potential for the land to ever be developed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this land protected, it also creates more access to nature (Goal 2 of the Action Agenda) by providing endless opportunities to explore the trails on this land. Learn more ><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

20 Acres at Whetstone Wood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Looking west from the highest point on the newly conserved property<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whetstone Wood Wildlife Sanctuary, Mass Audubon\u2019s largest wildlife sanctuary at over 2,500 acres, just added another 20 acres of prime forest and wooded wetlands that connects the wildlife sanctuary from west to east across New Salem Road in Wendell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whetstone Wood forms a \u201cbridge\u201d of protected lands connecting more than 50,000 acres dedicated to conservation. The sanctuary is unusual for Mass Audubon because public access is quite limited. It was the vision of the original donors and founders of the sanctuary, Ina and Mason Phelps, to create a wildlife refuge where human impacts are deliberately kept to a minimum. Learn more ><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

16 Acres at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Map of Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Preserving critical flood storage capacity and protecting important habitat for a variety of species, Mass Audubon added 16 acres at our Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary<\/a> with support from our long-time partner the City of Northampton. It is part of the same ecosystem partially protected by the City’s nearby Mill River Greenway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire area is part of an old \u201coxbow\u201d (a U-shaped segment of water) that became separated from the primary flow of the Connecticut River long ago. Oxbow wetlands such as this provide excess storage capacity for flood waters, improved water quality through filtration services, and habitat for a variety of wildlife. This particular land is part of a wildlife corridor actively used by bobcat, coyote, deer, and other wildlife.  Learn more ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mass Audubon\u2019s recently released Action Agenda highlights the importance of protecting land and the ecological services it provides to people and wildlife. The Resilient Landscapes goal specifically focuses on working with partners to conserve an additional 150,000 acres of the Commonwealth\u2019s most important and biodiverse habitats, bringing the percentage of protected land in the state […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16009,"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":[416],"class_list":["post-16007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-land-protection","tag-action-agenda"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/07\/Bear-Hole-Tree-Canopy_ZachAdams-750x500-b735567e-3eb8-4413-9bfa-b3f26bb48f64.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-4ab","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15217,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/three-land-projects-worth-celebrating\/","url_meta":{"origin":16007,"position":0},"title":"Three Land Projects Worth Celebrating","author":"Hillary T.","date":"February 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Mass Audubon has been protecting important places in the Massachusetts landscape for almost a century now. Working with land owners, public and private conservation partners, and supporters, we use best available science to identify high-priority parcels of land and pursue their permanent conservation for the benefit of people and wildlife.\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\/2021\/02\/ph-field.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/ph-field.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/ph-field.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/ph-field.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17422,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/big-wins-for-land-conservation\/","url_meta":{"origin":16007,"position":1},"title":"Big Wins for Land Conservation","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"January 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The end of 2022 was busy for our land conservation team, who put the finishing touches on protecting over 400 acres. 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":[]},{"id":10904,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/a-focus-on-land-conservation\/","url_meta":{"origin":16007,"position":2},"title":"A Focus on Land Conservation","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"April 23, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Land Protection"","block_context":{"text":"Land Protection","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/land-protection\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lime Kiln Farm","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/Land600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/Land600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/04\/Land600.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13007,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/the-role-of-land-conservation-in-fighting-climate-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":16007,"position":3},"title":"The Role of Land Conservation in Fighting Climate Change","author":"Alexandra Vecchio","date":"August 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The climate crisis often evokes images of coal-burning power plants, oil rigs drilling for fossil fuels, and congested roadways filled with gas-guzzling vehicles. But what about the land that surrounds us? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has told us that we are in the fight of our lives\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/08\/LB_KForesto-07552-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/08\/LB_KForesto-07552-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/08\/LB_KForesto-07552-750.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/08\/LB_KForesto-07552-750.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13176,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/leading-by-gretas-example\/","url_meta":{"origin":16007,"position":4},"title":"Leading By Greta’s Example","author":"Hillary T.","date":"October 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"If you\u2019ve been following the news about the youth-led climate strikes, there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ve heard about, and been inspired by, Greta Thunberg. 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You have visited sanctuaries, attended programs, volunteered your time, shared your experiences on social media, made donations, and so much more. Check out a snapshot of what you helped accomplish this year\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\/2019\/12\/NatureHeroVIdeoThumbButterfly_withplayicon.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/12\/NatureHeroVIdeoThumbButterfly_withplayicon.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/12\/NatureHeroVIdeoThumbButterfly_withplayicon.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/12\/NatureHeroVIdeoThumbButterfly_withplayicon.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\/16007","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=16007"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16016,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16007\/revisions\/16016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}