The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts

08/27/2026

The Middleboro-Lakeville Herring Fishery Commission completed its third Eco‑Harvester w**d removal on the Nemasket River last week, supported by TNC funding. TNC’s Marea Gabriel joined the team as they worked to clear invasive milfoil and improve river flow for adult and juvenile herring, all aquatic life and people. 🐟

The Eco‑Harvester, a low‑impact mechanical harvester designed to remove invasive w**ds without disturbing habitat, plays a key role in restoring flow in the Nemasket River. This year’s effort wasn’t easy. Low water levels and exposed rocky areas made launching and navigating the Eco‑Harvester challenging. Middleborough Department of Public Works, Wes Construction, the Herring Commission, Eco‑Harvester crew and a dedicated turtle biologist all stepped up and worked tirelessly to make sure the project could move forward.

👏🌱 Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s effort possible!

© Marea Gabriel/TNC
© Tom Barron

08/25/2026

🌾🌊 Community, culture and conservation all meet on Martha’s Vineyard. This summer, our team returned for a third year of engagement with the Martha's Vineyard AA Film Festival community and joined gatherings across the island—exploring the landscapes that make this place extraordinary, from globally rare sandplain grasslands to coastal farms.

Read more and learn about our work on Martha’s Vineyard in a new blog post by Donor Relations Manager Zaskya Perez: https://nature.ly/3SOYHZe

From left: Kris Sarri Michael Rodgers, Zaskya Perez, Rebekah Myers and James Page.© James Page/TNC

08/24/2026

Thanks to a long‑standing partnership, an important groundfish permit is helping keep fishing opportunities local on Martha’s Vineyard—and opening the door for the next generation. 🐟

TNC is proud to partner with the Martha's Vineyard Fishermen's Preservation Trust to support local fishermen and the healthy ocean they depend on. Together, we’re supporting healthy fish populations and ensuring that local fishing businesses can continue providing sustainably harvested seafood for generations to come.

Learn more in a new WCAI-FM article: https://nature.ly/4xXrr0I

A federal groundfish permit is back in use off Martha’s Vineyard. Two nonprofit organizations teamed up back in 2015 to keep the permit available for local use.

08/24/2026

🌸 Want to help create a thriving future for people and nature in Massachusetts? We’re hiring an Executive Coordinator—a high‑visibility role that supports the State Director and helps drive the work of our team. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to our ongoing mission of conservation!

See the full listing and apply by Monday, September 7: https://nature.ly/4zBC3UK

08/21/2026

Protecting and restoring nature is one of America's smartest investments. 🌱A TNC-commissioned report reveals that, for every $1 the federal government spends on conservation, the average return is $4. That investment not only drives local economies and creates jobs but also strengthens public safety and improves our physical and mental health. If we want a healthy future for people and nature, conservation is one of the smartest investments we can make. Explore the Nature’s Dividends report to learn more: https://nature.ly/41hrLsQ

© Jeanne Parente/TNC

08/20/2026

🌄 🐻 Protecting the Roadless Rule means protecting wildlife—and most Americans agree. In 2001, 1.6 million people submitted public comment, with over 95% supporting protections for nearly 60 million acres of national forest land.

➡️ Now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to rescind the Roadless Rule.

The Roadless Rule prohibits new road‑building and commercial timber harvesting out of some of our most intact landscapes—places that support hundreds of species like grizzlies, wolves and salmon, and contain 9,300 miles of hiking trails, including major stretches of the Continental Divide, Pacific Crest and Appalachian Trail. 🥾

This protection is at risk. Join TNC in fighting to protect our national forests: https://nature.ly/3T6ttt6

Read TNC’s full statement: https://nature.ly/3Uuz2p7

© P***y Savvenas/TNC Photo Contest 2019

08/19/2026

🎶🦪A new WBUR Here & Now segment by Barbara Moran spotlights new research into how sound may influence oyster larvae as they settle and grow. In North Carolina, healthy reefs crackle with snapping shrimp—a cue larvae respond to. But Massachusetts reefs sound different, and scientists are working to understand what “home” sounds like here.

Coastal Project Manager Daniel Goulart shares how TNC and partners are restoring reefs that remain under threat, while researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)
record underwater acoustics in Tisbury Great Pond to test how local oyster larvae will react. 🎧 Listen to the full segment: https://nature.ly/45AqOhC

New England's coastline was once teeming with wild oyster reefs. But pollution and overharvesting have destroyed them.

08/19/2026

Happy World Photo Day!
Share your favorite nature
photo you took this summer in the comments. 📸🌱

08/17/2026

🌊 Boston’s new coastal flood defense draft plan marks a major step toward preparing for rising seas. Nature-based solutions like salt marshes, oyster reefs and living shorelines reduce wave energy, improve water quality, support wildlife and help communities adapt over time, making them an important part of a long-term coastal protection strategy. These solutions can complement traditional infrastructure, often increasing protection while delivering benefits that engineered structures alone cannot.

With public comments opening soon, this is a key moment to help shape a future Boston waterfront that is resilient, vibrant and rooted in nature. Read The Boston Globe article to learn more: https://nature.ly/4gls7G5

The Army Corps of Engineers developed a $10 billion draft plan to protect Boston's coastline from flooding.

08/17/2026

A prickle and a gaze, beautifully captured by Matt Watson’s (Berkshire Trail Cam) wildlife cameras in Western Massachusetts!