The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts

We were thrilled to join Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, the Town of Westborough, grantees, and other partners this morning to celebrate more than $3.7 million in grants awarded to support culvert upgrades, restoration partnerships, and restoration projects that will improve public safety and reconnect aquatic systems.

It was powerful to visit one of the funded projects, which will reduce flooding, restore a coldwater stream, and protect public drinking water in Westborough. TNC is proud to advocate for funding for this important agency and its grant programs, and we love seeing the local impacts. Congratulations to all the awardees!

Sandplain grasslands are distinct habitats that support rare plant and animal species. Bluedot Living recently published a "Field Note," written by Karen Lombard, our Director of Stewardship and Restoration, which highlights the Sandplain Grassland Network's partnership to protect these habitats.

Nature Conservancy: Partnering to Save Sandplain Grasslands - Bluedot Living Martha's Vineyard The Sandplain Grassland Network works together to solve common challenges, particularly the challenges of climate change.

💧 Today marks the start of !💧

Water is the thread that weaves us all together. From the rivers that nourish our lands to the oceans that connect our continents, water is life. Let’s appreciate and protect this precious resource. 🌍

© Anirban Ghosh/TNC Photo Contest 2023
© Ngar Shun Victor Wong/TNC Photo Contest 2023
© Kyle Lowry/TNC Photo Contest 2022
© Jennifer Adler/TNC Photo Contest 2016
© Serge Melesan/TNC Photo Contest 2023

Join the Taunton River Watershed Alliance for an engaging panel discussion featuring experts from The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. Hear from Marea Gabriel, Freshwater Manager, and Emma Gildesgame, Climate Adaptation Scientist, along with four other panelists on the impacts of climate change and actionable steps we can take to make a difference.

Register: https://nature.ly/4dvhgqx

Don’t miss out on the next episode of the Offshore Wind Webinar Series this Thursday, August 22! 🌊

Dr. Seth Theuerkauf from the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Dr. Jocelyn Runnebaum from TNC in Maine will explore how the federal government identifies suitable ocean areas for offshore wind leasing.

Register: https://nature.ly/4fKKaVf

Celebrate with a yawn! Pick your favorite sleepyhead from TNC’s photo contest. Comment below!

Marmot 📸 Maresa Pryor-Luzier/TNC Photo Contest 2021
Fox 📸 Dave Horner/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Lion 📸 Alejandro Garrido Verdugo/TNC Photo Contest 2022
Seal 📸Florian Ledoux /TNC Photo Contest 2019
Pika 📸Deirdre Denali Rosenberg/TNC Photo Contest 2021

Join us for the second episode of our Offshore Wind Webinar Series on Thursday, August 22!

Dr. Seth Theuerkauf, a Renewable Energy Program Specialist with the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will be joined by Dr. Jocelyn Runnebaum, a marine scientist at TNC in Maine, to discuss the approach the federal government uses to identify wind energy areas in the ocean that are suitable for offshore wind leasing.

Secure your spot: https://nature.ly/3WRJQLo

Scenes from the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival! 🌟

TNC had the honor of presenting “Food, Black Farmers and Conservation” at the Martha's Vineyard AA Film Festival , featuring an exclusive preview of the documentary “Rooted.” The screening was followed by an inspiring discussion with Germaine Jenkins, co-founder of Fresh Future Farm, and James Page, TNC’s Chief Global DEI Officer.

“Rooted” chronicles Jenkins’ decade-long quest to transform an empty lot into a thriving urban farm in a South Carolina food desert. Her dedication has cultivated jobs, community and a bounty of fresh produce over the years! 🌱

© Hayley McManus

Today, we honor International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, many of whom play an incredible role in preserving our planet's biodiversity. 🌍

Their lands and waters are home to a significant portion of the world’s natural treasures, making them essential partners in reaching ambitious global conservation goals. 🌿



© Erika Nortemann/TNC

Take a glimpse into the journey of food justice with Germaine Jenkins, co-founder of Fresh Future Farm. Jenkins inspiring story was featured by Jared Bowen on WGBH’s The Culture Show, alongside James Page, TNC’s Chief Global DEI Officer ahead of an exclusive exclusive preview of “Rooted” at the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF).

“Rooted” is a powerful documentary that chronicles Jenkins’ decade-long quest to transform an empty lot into a thriving urban farm in a South Carolina food desert. Her dedication over the years has cultivated jobs, community and a bounty of fresh produce!

Listen: https://play.prx.org/listen?ge=prx_5241_0adb39e9-143d-43bf-bdd6-0130f2c5d2fb&uf=https%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wgbh.org%2F5241%2Ffeed-rss.xml

Thank you to the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Emilee Klein for a great piece on the NextGen Forest Project. This initiative shapes the future of forestry by training aspiring foresters and fostering growth of new trees.

Laura Marx, climate solutions scientist at TNC in Massachusetts, says: “(Demand) is rising because there’s much more money from the federal government to states, and the states themselves — they want to plant trees, they want to treat invasives to build resilience in the forest. They want to stay on top of all the things that could cause a bunch of trees to not grow in the way we are sort of depending on them to. We’re not growing our workforce at that pace.

The program is a partnership between TNC and the Forest Stewards Guild. Young people interested in a potential forestry career are recruited, trained and mentored, equipping them with skills for the future. This crew’s hands-on training includes managing invasive species and installing protective tree cages.

Read the full article and hear from some of the crew: https://nature.ly/3LTRwrC

🏅Highlights from the Paris (Animal) Olympics!

🦆 Making a splash with duck dives
🐻 Impressive leaps at the grizzly steeplechase
🦊 Sly moves and quick flips at fox judo
🦎 Fan throated lizard gymnast showing off on the rings

Which event are you cheering for? 🦆🐻🦊🦎

©Laura Backman/TNC Photo Contest 2018
©Cathy Hummel/TNC Photo Contest 2019
© Darren Colello/TNC Photo Contest 2021
© Suman Paul/TNC Photo Contest 2023

Happy National Oyster Day! 🦪 🌊 Let’s shell-ebrate these amazing creatures today! 💙 Oysters can:

💧 Improve water quality
🏠Provide habitat
🌿Increase biodiversity
🍽️Provide food and support livelihoods

With the launch of the SOAR program in 2020, TNC is on a mission to restore natural shellfish reefs and partner with shellfish farmers to keep our coasts healthy and thriving!

Learn more at https://nature.ly/3WRKBFN



@ Hayley McManus

How do we depend on a healthy ocean? 🌊 The ocean provides jobs and powers our economies!

No matter where you work, what you eat or what you buy, the ocean has played some role in your financial life. Today, so many of us rely on things that are made in one place and shipped overseas. And of course, communities all over the world depend on livelihoods from fishing, aquaculture, tourism and recreation. 🎣🏖️

Curious about climate change’s impact on fisheries? Check out the link to read about Kurt Martin, a seasoned fisherman who has witnessed shifts in climate and fish availability over the past two decades. 🌍🐟 https://nature.ly/46HKe41

© Ayla Fox

🌿 Exciting News! We are thrilled to share that TNC has received $200 million toward nature-based solutions, supporting significant reductions of carbon emissions across four states: Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. 🌎 🌿

This funding is part of a historic $421 million award from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program.

Read more: https://nature.ly/46rUWLI

© Cassidy Girvin/TNC Photo Contest 2021

TNC to Receive $200 Million from EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program, Part of Historic $421 Million Multi-State Coalition Grant TNC Chapters in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia to Scale Up Forest, Peatland and Wetland Restoration Work Toward Carbon Reduction Efforts

🌿🥚 Bekah Myers, our stewardship manager for the Islands and Southeast Massachusetts, recently stumbled upon red-bellied turtle eggs at our Hoft Farm Preserve on Martha’s Vineyard. 🐢🔍 Despite a striped skunk’s sneaky attack on some of the eggs, there are some that are still intact along the trail.

📸 Bekah managed to capture one of the turtles laying their eggs, and we hope to see some baby turtles come early fall!

🌿 🌎 Exciting news! The Massachusetts House recently approved a bill to boost renewable energy efforts, streamlining permitting for clean energy projects and shifting away from using fossil fuels. The House and Senate will now reconcile each of their versions of the bill into a final piece of legislation for the governor to sign.

Thank you to the AP News for including a statement from Steve Long, director of policy and partnerships for TNC in Massachusetts. 🙌

Read more: https://nature.ly/46f9M88

© AP Photo/Elise Amendola

🍄🤨 Mood when we hear the whole week will be overcast and rainy…

📸 Hayley McManus

Ever encountered a wildflower without a hint of green? 🌿 Known as pinesap, this captivating wildflower, spotted at our Drury Preserve in Sheffield, MA, doesn’t rely on photosynthesis. Instead, it cleverly uses fungi to help parasitize the roots of neighboring plants. 🍄🌱

Visit the link to plan your visit to Drury preserve and look for one of these incredible flowers! https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/roger-and-virginia-drury-preserve/

© Rene Wendell / TNC in Massachusetts

Scientists estimate that one in three species could be extinct by 2070. A major reason? The destruction and development of habitats around the world. That’s why we need Congress to pass the U.S. Foundation for International Conservation Act to boost global conservation efforts. Here’s how this legislation would benefit nature, wildlife and communities:

🐘 This bill would help conserve and restore threatened habitats around the world that animals call home.

🤝 $100 million would go towards supporting local communities and Indigenous Peoples who manage protected and conserved areas every year helping to bridge a longstanding gap in international conservation funding.

🏛️ It would stretch government dollars even further by incentivizing millions more in private and philanthropic funding.

🌎 By safeguarding lands and waters worldwide, this bill would promote international and U.S. security. Because protecting nature isn’t just good for the health of our planet; it’s also critical to our global stability.

Ready to take action? Reach out to your elected leaders at the link:

How the U.S. Foundation for International Conservation Act Would Support Conservation This legislation would leverage funding from governments, private industries and philanthropic sectors to protect wildlife, lands and waters around the world.

How do we depend on a healthy ocean? 🌊

Although it may not feel like it during these hot summer days, the ocean helps us beat the heat in more ways than one. The sea is an essential ally against climate change and its effects.

Since the Industrial Revolution, when humans rapidly began releasing greenhouse gases, the ocean has absorbed about 90% of the excess heat in our atmosphere. Without this vital function, Earth’s air temperature would be rising even more rapidly. 🌡️ Let’s appreciate our ocean and take action to protect it! 🌎 💙



© Akshay Kanade/TNC Photo Contest 2022

🐟🦈🐟 Just keep swimming, just keep swimming 🐟🐟

Happy Shark Awareness Day! If you’ve ever swam in the ocean, you’ve probably swam with a shark.

Massachusetts is home to more than a dozen shark species, ranging from the small spiny dogfish to massive whale sharks. Just like us, and many other species around the world, climate change is affecting their habitat. Ocean waters are warming, sending these magnificent creatures on the move, heading farther north.

🌡️ 🌎 Visit the link in to learn how The Nature Conservancy is taking action against climate change: https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/tackle-climate-change/



© Justin Bruhn/TNC Photo Contest 2019

Offshore wind is a complex topic that raises numerous questions. From its environmental impact to the economic feasibility, there’s much to explore. TNC invites you to join us for a seven-part series on offshore wind, where experts in the field will convene to provide insight into the complexities of this topic, from environmental impacts to economic considerations.

Join us on Thursday, July 18, 12 p.m. ET, as we hear from Sarah Krame, Staff Attorney with Sierra Club Environmental Law Program, and Susan Muller, Senior Energy Analyst of Union of Concerned Scientists, to learn about the results of their recent analyses on why offshore wind is so important for New England, especially during the winter, and how it can reduce energy costs for New England ratepayers. Learn more and register: https://tnc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__gcF8sSYRjSQhufphn5hPw #/registration