Go Wild

Mass Audubon's Action Agenda 2021-2026

Mass Audubon's Action Agenda is a bold five-year plan that is focused on immediate action to respond to significant, urgent challenges that Massachusetts wildlife, people, and habitats face: loss of biodiversity, inequitable access to nature, and climate change. The Action Agenda was developed by incorporating the feedback of Mass Audubon staff, Board, Council, and other stakeholders through a focused, accelerated process that has positioned us to start generating results quickly.

"Go Wild", our theme for the launch of the Action Agenda, reflects our commitment to the nature and wildlife of Massachusetts, and to ensuring that the natural beauty of our state is accessible to even more people—now and in the future.

Our core goals build on our powerful legacy of connecting people with the land.

Mass Audubon's Action Agenda draws its strength from our spectacular network of wildlife sanctuaries and the thousands of volunteers who inspire others to explore, experience, and protect the nature of Massachusetts. To meet the Action Agenda’s goals, we will engage a diverse set of partners—both those who know us well and those we hope to reach. 

For 125 years, the heart and soul of Mass Audubon has been a powerful connection between the people of Massachusetts and the land. The Action Agenda will strengthen the organization on both sides of that equation—expanding our land conservation efforts while fostering deeper engagement with current members and new audiences, so that we can address the common threats we all face.  

The core, statewide goals of the Action Agenda are linked and interdependent. Protecting land in urban places improves the quality of life for local residents while also building climate resilience. Conserving large tracts of the natural landscape saves wildlife and protects clean water and air while providing a critical resource for sequestering carbon. When we mobilize existing members and new supporters to advocate for climate action, our stronger collective voice better positions us to advance Mass Audubon’s entire nature-based agenda. 

Photo shows a Least Tern with two chicks

Least Terns nest on beaches that are threatened by Climate Change © Nancy Orbe

We’re tackling several of the biggest challenges of our time.

Climate change and the loss of biodiversity pose an immediate, unprecedented threat. Too many Massachusetts residents, particularly those from low-income families and communities of color, lack convenient access to nature and wildlife and the benefits derived therein. The Action Agenda calls for innovative solutions that link policy, on-the-ground conservation, and sustained engagement with community partners to address these challenges. The actions we undertake will require us to work as a unified organization, keep our sights high, and inspire our members to help us drive significant change as quickly as possible. 

Are we up for the task? Absolutely.

Mass Audubon’s assets, brand, and track record of achievement prepare us to take our conservation leadership even further. Much of that success stems from the fact that we don’t go it alone. As we pursue our Action Agenda goals, we will enlist the assistance and counsel of our members, partner organizations, and community leaders at every step of the way.

Over the course of our history, we’ve protected some of the Commonwealth’s most cherished landscapes, and the wildlife that relies on them, while providing generations of residents with life-changing experiences and enduring memories. The Action Agenda represents a new chapter for Mass Audubon full of hope, energy, urgency, and enthusiasm. We need your passion and commitment to help us write it.


Goal 1

Resilient Landscapes – Protect + Steward

Mass Audubon has fostered a spirit of profound engagement between people, the land, and wildlife for well over a century. The natural resources of Massachusetts face daunting challenges from development, climate change, and other factors. The Action Agenda will dramatically expand our efforts to restore and steward the state’s most important natural lands including public and privately-owned forests, grasslands, and farms.

Our Resilient Landscapes goal focuses on conserving an additional 150,000 acres of the Commonwealth’s most important and biodiverse habitats, bringing the percentage of protected land in the state to 30%. These land protection efforts will focus on forestlands, coastal watersheds, and river corridors where our work can deliver maximum ecological benefit. Building on President Biden’s 30 by 30 nationwide goal of protecting 30% of U.S. lands by 2030, we will work with our partners to double the pace of land conservation in Massachusetts.

To that end, we will shape a land protection strategy that complements existing Federal, state, and partner organization plans; we will invest in establishing a capacity-building team of experts who will provide technical and transactional assistance in support of our partners’ land protection efforts, and we will provide bridge financing to support the acceleration of targeted land protection actions. We will also amplify the impact of our collective land protection actions by advocating for increased funding focused on land conservation and resilient landscapes. As we conserve more natural lands, we will also work with private owners of forestlands and farms to implement land management methods that produce positive economic and ecological outcomes.

Through our resilient landscapes strategy we will...

Lead a public/private sector coalition to protect 30% of Massachusetts by 2026 by conserving an additional 150,000 acres; Of that total, Mass Audubon will directly protect 10,000 acres of new natural lands and sanctuaries--a fourfold increase in the pace of our land protection efforts; Enhance the management of 200,000 acres of public and private forestland; Restore, protect, and manage at least 2,500 acres of critical coastal ecosystems.


Goal 2

Inclusive and Equitable Access to Nature – Listen + Engage

Everyone deserves to enjoy nature’s benefits—from clean air and water to shade and recreation. Yet many families face barriers that make it difficult for them to access green spaces: few community parks, limited transportation options, and a lack of available nature education programs.

Mass Audubon is committed to promoting inclusive and equitable access to nature by creating new sanctuaries in urban environments. Working with community members and listening closely to their needs, we will build on our successful track record at the Boston Nature Center—both in Boston and in Gateway cities across the state. Expanding and deepening our environmental and career programs will bring us closer to the time when every child and adult in Massachusetts has the opportunity to engage profoundly with nature. In our training, recruitment, and board development activities, Mass Audubon will also advance the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice throughout our organization.  

Our commitment to increasing access means we will...

Work with partners to protect 20 new urban green spaces and wildlife sanctuaries by 2026; Grow the number of children from low-income families and communities of color who participate in our nature-based educational programs from 35,000 to 90,000; Double the total number of children who benefit from our educational, preschool, and camp programs from 150,000 to 300,000; Increase low-income families' access to our programs by growing our scholarship fund to $2 million.


Goal 3

Climate Change – Mobilize + Advocate

Climate march (left and right); Mass Audubon Youth Climate Summit (center)

Nature-based climate solutions use the power of nature to increase the storage of carbon, reduce flooding and extreme heat, and avoid greenhouse gas emissions through the protection, restoration, and management of our forestlands, grasslands, wetlands, and soils.

The world desperately needs immediate, decisive action to combat the climate crisis. Climate change threatens every aspect of Mass Audubon’s mission: the wildlife we protect, the land we steward, the biodiversity we treasure, and the communities we serve. Yet we see reason for hope. Our state, which is at the forefront of climate legislation, has set a goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050; Mass Audubon will play a leading role in accomplishing this goal. 

Much of the Action Agenda’s climate work centers on nature-based climate solutions—for example, protecting ecosystems that have the potential to sequester millions of metric tons of CO2. By aggressively supporting these solutions, we address the threats of climate change while advancing our long-standing mission to protect our air, water, and wildlife habitat. Together with our partners, we will advocate for the rapid adoption of renewable energy while safeguarding wildlife and environmentally sensitive lands.  

We will also mobilize our members and sanctuary visitors to grow the ranks of climate advocates. As the state’s largest conservation organization—one that engages hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors annually—we have an opportunity, and an obligation, to harness these voices to advocate passionately on behalf of nature.

We will fight climate change by...

Achieving full implementation of the state’s carbon emissions goals for 2030 and 2050; Mobilizing our 135,000 members to advance policies and funding for nature-based climate solutions; Training more than 1,000 adults, college students, and youth to become champions for climate and conservation policy; Advancing policies that reverse the negative health impacts of climate change for low-income residents and communities of color.


Going wild is about… Rescuing a sea turtle. Rising at dawn to join a bird census. Stepping from a busy street into a tranquil urban sanctuary. Using your senses to explore an All Persons Trail. Inspiring young birders to swap their screens for binoculars. Spotting a rare Eastern Meadowlark. Taking a child to a sanctuary like Drumlin Farm for the first time. Encountering your first owl. Connecting to nature with art at the Museum of American Bird Art. Successfully tackling a ropes course at summer camp. Clearing invasive plants from a riverbank. Working to protect open spaces in your hometown. Happening upon a breathtaking view during a hike. Taking an up-close look at a beaver dam from a canoe. Writing a postcard to support climate legislation.


Sanctuaries

Our wildlife sanctuaries bring Mass Audubon's mission to life.

They provide trails for exploring nature, vistas that inspire, and spaces for dynamic learning and contemplation. Sanctuaries are a refuge for wildlife, a living laboratory for research, a hands-on classroom, a place for community celebration, and an integral part of the fabric of Massachusetts. They are the engine for the implementation of the Action Agenda—vital points of contact for conducting on-the-ground conservation, implementing natural climate change solutions, and engaging both current members and new audiences. Through the Action Agenda, we will:

Solidify our sanctuaries’ stature as centers of excellence in conservation practice; Celebrate them as outdoor classrooms where people of all ages and backgrounds discover (or rediscover) a love of nature, and become inspired to protect it; Expand their capacity to advance nature-based climate solutions and restoration; Unlock their potential as convening spaces for training a new generation of conservationists and advocates.

Image shows a map of Mass Audubon's wildlife sanctuaries

Mass Audubon's wildlife sanctuaries. Sanctuaries with a yellow map point are sanctuaries with a nature center.


Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice

Equity and Justice will underscore all that we do.

To fulfill our mission, we must engage people of all backgrounds—meaningfully and respectfully—throughout our organization. For Mass Audubon, advancing the principles of DEIJ (diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice) is both a moral imperative and a necessity for our success. Protecting wildlife and increasing access to nature fosters healthy communities. That’s why we’re increasing our emphasis on building strong partnerships with local organizations; taking the time needed to listen and understand the needs of community members; and working to bring nature and nature-based education to under-resourced areas. To that end, the Action Agenda will pursue initiatives that reflect a commitment to:

  • Listen to communities of color and low-income communities and work together to create equitable access to our wildlife sanctuaries and programs
  • Continue to foster an internal culture that supports all aspects of diversity
  • Increase the diversity of our board of directors and staff
  • Highlight the voices and experiences of indigenous peoples and people of color throughout our work

Let's Go

Photo shows the boardwalk at sunset at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet, MA

The boardwalk at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

With almost 40,000 acres protected, 14,000 volunteers, 135,000 members, 225,000 yearly program participants, and hundreds of thousands of sanctuary visitors annually, Mass Audubon is a conservation powerhouse. Achieving our goals for land conservation, equitable access to nature, and climate solutions will require us to think unconventionally and take calculated risks. We will also need to expand the circle of friends, partners, and funders who join with us to accomplish our aims.

The Action Agenda embodies Mass Audubon’s enduring commitment to ensuring that our precious wildlife habitat is protected; that our lands become more resilient; and that more people experience the magic of nature in every corner of our state.

Please join us in advancing this essential work.

 

See the publication at  massaudubon.org/actionagenda 

Content by

Libretto

Design of Action Agenda publication by

Stoltze Design Group

Least Terns nest on beaches that are threatened by Climate Change © Nancy Orbe

Mass Audubon's wildlife sanctuaries. Sanctuaries with a yellow map point are sanctuaries with a nature center.

The boardwalk at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary