Prescribed Fire Pilot Habitat Management Initiative 

The Native Land Conservancy, Inc., an Indigenous-led non-profit based in Mashpee, MA, will lead a habitat management initiative using prescribed fire at the Wampanoag Common Lands in Kingston, MA. This project will help manage invasive species, restore native biodiversity and grassland habitat, and enhance overall climate resilience. Additionally, the project will build capacity for prescribed fire and biodiversity assessments, with training and professional development for tribal members to gain experience and carry out habitat stewardship across the region.

Socio-ecological Consequences of Artificial Lighting at Night 

DCR will monitor light pollution at 8+ DCR recreational facilities, including campgrounds, golf courses, skating rinks, and quantify the socio-ecological benefits of modifying existing lighting infrastructure to meet Dark Sky Initiative recommendations. A collaboration with Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the project will include monitoring of the impacts of light pollution on bats and insects and inform DCR’s overall strategy to implement biodiversity-friendly lighting at facilities across the state.  

Building Capacity for Barrens Management and Public Outreach at The Trustees 

The Trustees has restored 800+ acres of barrens across Massachusetts in recent decades. One of the most biodiverse habitats, barrens require ongoing stewardship and care through techniques like mowing and prescribed fire. This project will increase the organization’s capacity for habitat stewardship at properties on Martha’s Vineyard, North Shore, South Coast, and Cape Cod, to maintain these important habitats for wildlife and enhance climate resilience. Additionally, this will support interpretive signs to engage the public in the importance of this work.

Blue Hills Biodiversity Education Program

In partnership with DCR, Friends of Blue Hills will lead a structured series of classroom sessions and field trips to Blue Hills Reservation for three cohorts of students from Brooke Charter High School in Mattapan, MA, Minuteman High School in Lexington, MA, and Education Cooperative High School in Walpole, MA. Activities include student exploration of Blue Hills biodiversity, history and habitats, training on species identification and monitoring, biodiversity surveys as part of a long-term study, observation of ecological interactions, hands-on participation in an invasive plant removal stewardship exercise, and preparation for post-program opportunities to build on biodiversity lessons in the wider community. 

UGROW: Increasing Biodiversity at School and Community Gardens through Native Plants & Pollinators

Regional Environmental Council, Inc. will expand 10 existing pollinator gardens and install 5 new gardens in historically underserved Worcester neighborhoods, primarily at schools. This project will include planting more than 40 native perennial species to increase biodiversity diversity, sustain pollinator populations, improve soil health, strengthen urban ecosystem resilience, and connect communities to nature. This will increase beneficial plants by 50%, add 1,500+ square feet of pollinator habitat, and engage at least 300 community members—mostly students from Worcester Public Schools—in hands-on environmental education and stewardship.

Cross Pollination: Community-Led Biodiversity Restoration and Education in Cummington 

In partnership with the Cummington Tree Alliance and Cummington Cultural District, Hilltown Vision Fund will lead a community-wide biodiversity restoration and education initiative centered in the rural town of Cummington, MA. This project will include coordinated ecological plantings, installation of a heritage orchard, creation of pollinator habitat, cultural interpretation, and experiential public programming. Partners will integrate on-the-ground habitat improvements with place-based cultural and scientific learning to expand biodiversity stewardship and public engagement throughout the community and wider region. 

Biodiversity at Boston Public Schools

Boston Public Schools will install native pollinator gardens, smart irrigation systems, and interpretive signage at six elementary and K-8 schools across the city. The project will restore degraded urban habitat by removing invasive species and restoring habitat for pollinators and birds. Each schoolyard pollinator habitat will serve as both a hands-on outdoor classroom and a community demonstration garden, expanding public awareness of biodiversity stewardship through educational signage, field observation tools, and participatory science activities. By creating pollinator habitat at schoolyards in several diverse Boston neighborhoods—five of which serve predominantly low-income communities and students of color—this initiative advances equity while building a citywide network of pollinator pathways. 

Biodiversity Strategy and Educational Walkway

The Ecotarium will complete an assessment of the museum property around Lower Pond and Kalil Pavilion, resulting in a strategic plan to improve the ecological health this area and enhance the educational experience for visitors. This project will improve the pathway, add educational signage about local biodiversity, and increase biodiversity-focused programming inside the museum. 

Centralville Habitat Interconnected Restoration Project

The City of Lowell will build a mini-forest and pollinator garden in a neighborhood that lacks greenspace to boost biodiversity, restore habitat, and increase community connection to nature in the city. This project includes planting native species that will support wildlife, educational signage to increase biodiversity awareness and stewardship, and an educational component with Lowell Public Schools, as the project will be located between two schools. 

Sawmill Park Pollinator Pathway 

The Town of Dedham will restore a one-acre area along the historic Mother Brook in East Dedham. A former industrial neighborhood with little access to green space, this project will increase biodiversity and provide a safe space for people to connect with nature.The project will build a 0.25-mile “pollinator pathway” trail and rain garden to treat stormwater runoff and improve water quality in the brook. Additionally, the project will include a biodiversity-themed art exhibit featuring local artists on adjacent Sawmill Bridge, a community native seed sharing library, interpretive signage about local biodiversity, and a bench for wildlife viewing. 

Making the University of Massachusetts Amherst Campus Bird Safe 

Building on more than two years of student-led monitoring of bird window collision on campus, this project will complete installation of bird-friendly window coverings designed by a local artist at the six most dangerous buildings on the UMass campus. Additionally, this project will expand monitoring to other high collision sites on campus and include an outreach and education component across campus and with surrounding communities.

Investigating Oyster Reef Biodiversity in Plum Island Sound 

Oysters are ecosystem engineers, creating habitat for marine life, filtering clean water, enhancing resilience, and contributing to the blue economy. This project will survey marine biodiversity associated with three oyster reefs in the Plum Island Sound estuary, identify unique genetic properties of native oysters, support oyster conservation and restoration. This collaborative research project will engage UMass Lowell students and middle school students from the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell.