Inventory, Monitoring & Research
While we know a great deal about the complex natural systems of the landscapes under our care, there is much that we do not know. Our decision-making process is augmented with both the best science available as well as inventory, monitoring, and research initiatives. Current areas of focus include:
Breeding birds
Plant communities
Herbs
Coastal ponds
Deer biology
Lyme disease
Salt marsh ecology
Shorebird biology
Habitat Conservation & Management
Geology, climate, natural forces, and human activity have converged to support a variety of ecological communities familiar to all of us, such as barrier beaches, spruce-fir forests, broad floodplains, and grasslands. Many of these communities face a variety of threats. Across the state, invasive non-native species, such as purple loosestrife change the character of natural habitats and drive out native species. Development and road building are fragmenting natural areas. And the suppression of natural forest disturbances results in the loss of early successional plant communities. The Trustees is working to combat these threats in a number of ways, including:
managing non-native plants and animals
clustering conservation lands to combat fragmentation of natural areas
protecting uninterrupted expanses of certain landscape types on which certain species depend
assisting farmers to optimize the value of agricultural fields for farming and wildlife
maintaining grasslands
Download Ecological Management Guidelines:
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Habitat Restoration
On a limited basis, The Trustees works to restore significant ecological communities at reservations seriously threatened by some of the above-mentioned situations. In these cases, we endeavor to restore both the natural and cultural processes that originally created the ecological community. Two examples include tide marsh restoration and sand barrens restoration.
Click here to learn more about Sand Barrens Habitat Management.
Rare Species Protection
Of the 2000 plants and animals native to Massachusetts, over 400 are considered rare and endangered. Our reservations provide critical habitat for 89 rare species (21 vertebrates, 29 invertebrates, 39 plants) and protect 12% (60 pairs) of the federally threatened piping plover population in Massachusetts. Twelve of our properties are state-listed as Areas of Critical Ecological Concern. Through several rare species protection programs, many in concert with local and regional conservation groups, The Trustees works to preserve the state's rich biodiversity. These programs include:
- shorebird protection
- species identification, location, and protection
- grasslands management
- rare plant species habitat acquisition and management
Education
We are all potential stewards of the state's diverse—and fragile—ecological resources. While the work of The Trustees and other organizations is vital, our visiting public must also share some of the responsibility of protecting these resources. The Trustees actively organizes interpretive and educational programs and tours and develops literature and signs. These activities increase public awareness and understanding of the challenges and opportunities which lie ahead and help to explain the roles that we all can play to bring about a successful outcome over the long-term.
Learn more about our work in Education
Partnerships
The success of our work in ecological resource protection often depends on strong collaborative partnerships with other conservation organizations, government agencies, researchers, and volunteers. The Trustees also contributes to several state-wide and regional conservation programs.