People Making a Difference

The power of conservation-minded individuals

Henry Woolsey: A Guardian of All Creatures Great and Small
Henry Woolsey, Program Manager of the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) and leader of the team that created the recently released BioMap2, retired this year after 30 years.

In 1978, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with the help of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), launched the Natural Heritage Program as part of a push to establish natural heritage programs in all 50 states. Henry joined the Program in Massachusetts in 1981. The NHESP is a program within the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and it works to ensure conservation of the Commonwealth’s native biodiversity. Thanks in large part to Henry Woolsey, today Massachusetts’ NHESP is one of the strongest in the country. more »

Jim Lentowski—40 years and counting… Protecting the special place that is Nantucket
Jim Lentowski has been working to protect Nantucket’s scenic landscapes and natural resources for over 40 years. Through his work as Executive Director of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation he has had an enormous and permanent conservation impact on one of the most unique and majestic places in Massachusetts. more »

Governor Deval Patrick—A Powerful Conservation Legacy in Progress
When Deval Patrick was running for Governor prior to his first term in 2006, he and the other candidates for that office were approached by the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition (MLTC) and asked to take “the pledge”—if elected, to fund state land protection efforts at a high level during their tenure. Specifically, they were asked to fund the state land acquisition programs and related municipal and land trust grant programs at $50 Million per year. more »

Peg Arguimbau—Getting Involved Makes a Difference
In 1984, the Sharon Conservation Commission approved a wetlands permit for the development of a house lot on the banks of Massapoag Brook in Sharon. When neighbors Dan and Peg Arguimbau realized the brook and surrounding wetlands were threatened, they felt the need to take action. They knew that building a house on the land would have a negative impact on the brook, wetlands, and wildlife habitat and they wanted to do what they could to try and prevent that from happening. more »

Dan Cheever – The Power of One
Dan Cheever fondly remembers spending summers at his grandparents’ house on Great Neck in Wareham, exploring the forest and swimming in the ocean. “This is where I spent the summers as a child, and it was the same for my grandfather, my father, and my own children.” As an adult, he moved around the country quite a bit. But when he longed for home, he thought back to summers at Great Neck. After decades of being far from Wareham, he and his wife, Sue, moved back to Great Neck to live on the land that has been in his family for generations. more »

Judy and Dudley Williams – Heroes for West Mountain
To the outsider it may seem that overdevelopment is not much of a threat to the little town of Plainfield in the Berkshires. But even though the town has only 600 residents, half of them have arrived within the past five years.

Judy and Dudley Williams moved to Plainfield 15 years ago. They were the type of newcomers a little town like Plainfield could only dream of. As people who are inspired by the wonders of nature and the importance of healthy ecosystems, they are enamored with the nature of Western Massachusetts and it’s wildlife diversity. As a result, they have worked hard to make sure that the critical land and wildlife habitat surrounding Mass Audubon’s West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary is protected. The West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, which also abuts the 8,000 acre Dubuque State Forest, is home to an abundance of wildlife, including black bears, bobcats, porcupines, moose, barred owls, fishers, and wood ducks, to name a few. more »

Bernie McHugh – Massachusetts' Land Conservation Advocate
Bernie McHugh is making a difference. He’s the long-time coordinator of the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition (MLTC) and one of the most recognized people in the Massachusetts land conservation community. He is an outspoken conservation activist, a gifted impromptu speaker, and he has a no-holds-barred attitude when it comes to protecting land and wildlife. more »

Chet Kulisa – Conservationist and Steward of Land
Chet Kulisa was raised to understand that people are stewards rather than owners of land.  He believes that landscapes in their natural condition are vital places where nature and wildlife coexist and water recharges the earth. His conservation ethic and commitment to land preservation have resulted in the protection of literally thousands of acres of land, including Mass Audubon’s Pierpont Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary in Dudley. more »

Dick and Alan Emmet, husband and wife making a difference in Westford
In 1951, Dick Emmet and his wife, Alan, moved from Cambridge to their new home on 15 wooded acres in Westford, drawn by the opportunity to enjoy peaceful nature walks right from their doorstep. Near their home and throughout Massachusetts, they saw that wildland was disappearing at an alarming rate and believed that it was imperative to do everything possible to conserve it. With a true conservation ethic, Dick and Alan purchased many small pieces of land near their Westford home. "We never intended to build ourselves an empire," says Alan, "we just wanted to conserve the land." more »