Our Impact
From preserving farmland and forests to protecting coastal resources and urban parks, Wildlands carries out a wide and ever-evolving range of conservation tasks.
All our projects have the same first step: listening to the communities we serve.
We see ourselves as a community service organization working in the land conservation field. We maximize our impact by nimbly responding to the unique needs of local people and wildlife.
What is a land trust?
A land trust is a nonprofit organization that conserves land for public benefit. Land trusts can serve single towns or vast regions. They can be run by volunteers or, like Wildlands, by a volunteer board of directors and paid staff.
In the US, land trusts protect 61 million acres of land, more than all of the national parks combined. Wildlands Trust is one of 130 land trusts in Massachusetts, the most of any state.
Land Protection
In an uncertain and rapidly changing world, land protection represents the most reliable tool we have to preserve our natural resources for future generations of people and wildlife. By legally restricting the development of farms, forests, wetlands, and coasts, Wildlands helps communities keep their heritage and values permanently rooted in the natural, cultural, and economic landscape of Southeastern Massachusetts. We rely on the generosity of private landowners to carry out this work.
Land Stewardship
Protecting natural lands from development is a crucial first step, but attentive, ongoing care of these lands must follow to unlock the full benefits of land conservation. Recognizing that this critical task is frequently overlooked and underfunded, Wildlands takes a community approach to land stewardship, building the capacity of volunteers, cities, towns, and other nonprofits to care for lands across the state.
> Our Trails
> Volunteer Opportunities
> Stewardship Training Center
> Community Stewardship Program
Outreach & Education
Communities that feel connected to their local natural resources are happier, healthier, and more resilient to social and environmental change. Wildlands works with diverse partners to strengthen and restore lost relationships between people and nature, particularly in Environmental Justice communities. Our public programs and youth education serve to inform and inspire actions that promote environmental stewardship and sustainability.
> Programs & Events
> Youth Programs
> Supporting the Community
Environmental Justice
All communities have a right to clean air and water, resilience to heat waves and floods, and places to recreate and relax in nature. Wildlands is committed to sharing the benefits of land conservation with the region’s most densely populated areas, where each acre of protected land and each new environmental advocate means a little bit more. Recognizing that trust is earned, we begin every Environmental Justice project by listening to the communities we aim to serve.
> D.W. Field Park Initiative
> Brockton Youth Programs
> Urban Tree Planting
Partnerships
We cannot do this work alone. We are proud to partner with dozens of agencies and non-governmental organizations, including the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, The Nature Conservancy, Mass Audubon, Trustees of Reservations, Native Land Conservancy, and Manomet Conservation Sciences.