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 Mass Audubon Advocacy
Our Mission
Take Action Today!
Contact Information
Publications
MISSION: To Protect The Nature of Massachusetts.
VISION: A Commonwealth in which people appreciate and understand native plants and animals and their habitats and work together to ensure that they are truly protected.
ROLE: To serve both as a leader and a catalyst for conservation, by acting directly to Protect The Nature of Massachusetts and by stimulating individual and institutional action through education, advocacy, and habitat protection.
STRATEGY: To educate and motivate Society members, citizens of the Commonwealth, local, state, and federal elected and appointed officials to make decisions that Protect The Nature of Massachusetts. The Advocacy Department seeks to strengthen important partnerships with other organizations and institutions, as well as to enhance coordination and information-sharing among Society staff.
GOALS: To abate the principal threats to The Nature of Massachusetts. Broadly defined, these threats are:
- habitat fragmentation
- habitat loss
- disruption of ecological processes
- invasive species
- incompatible human uses of the land.
The Massachusetts Audubon Society's Advocacy Department fulfills the legacy of our Founding Mothers, Minna Hall and Harriet Hemenway. Using friendly yet persistent persuasion, these two Back Bay cousins enlisted over nine hundred people to join a society for the protection of birds in Massachusetts and around the country. Their advocacy—which resulted in the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty—marked one of the seminal moments in the history of environmental activism in the United States. Since that time, the Advocacy Department has played a crucial role in the passage of some of the strongest conservation laws in the country.
Through the Lincoln Headquarters, Advocacy staff develop policies and publications relating to the Society's conservation priorities, comment on major proposed development projects, and serve on state advisory committees working to develop state regulations and policies. On Beacon Hill, staff coordinate the lobbying of state and federal leaders toward passage of conservation legislation and funding conservation programs.
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TAKE ACTION TODAY!
There are several ways in which interested citizens can get involved with the Massachusetts Audubon Society and play active and effective roles in conserving the natural resources of the commonwealth:
- Get involved with your local Municipality: Most of the land use decisions that govern the health and character of our land are made at the local level. To make a difference in your community, get involved with your local conservation commission, planning board, or other municipal group.
- Take an active role in pending legislation: Join the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Action Network and participate in the Society's effort to improve state environmental laws by writing letters and making phone calls to your state legislators when asked by our legislative staff to take action.
- Join Mass Audubon today: Membership dues help support our statewide advocacy work, and the backing of 100,000 members lends credibility and clout to our efforts to ensure our legislators "do right" by the environment.
- Assist Mass Audubon with specific projects: The Advocacy Department offers opportunities for interns, volunteers and pro bono lawyers interested in assisting with specific issues or projects. If interested in providing at least 10 hours per week, please contact us via e-mail or call 781-259-2171.
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Contact Information
Advocacy Headquarters
208 South Great Road
Lincoln, MA 01773
Ph: (781) 259-2171
Fax: (781) 259-1089
advocacy@massaudubon.org
John J. Clarke, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations
Heidi Roddis Ricci, Senior Policy Specialist
Legislative Affairs
6 Beacon Street, Suite 1025
Boston, MA 02108
Ph: (617) 523-8448
Fax: (617) 523-4183
beaconhill@massaudubon.org
Jennifer Ryan, Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs
North Shore Advocacy Office
Endicott Wildlife Sanctuary
346 Grapevine Road
Wenham, MA 01984
(978) 927-1122
endicott@massaudubon.org
Kathy Leahy, Program Director, ext. 2700
www.greenneighborhoods.org
www.greatmarsh.org
Central Massachusetts Advocacy Office
at Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary
414 Massasoit Road
Worcester, MA 01604
508-753-6087
bmbrook@massaudubon.org
Deborah Cary, Director, ext. 17
Donna Williams, Conservation Advocacy Coordinator, ext. 18
Taunton River Watershed Advocacy Office
The River Center at Boyden Refuge
1298 Cohannet Street
Taunton MA 02780
508-828-1104
Call phone first to send fax.
Priscilla Chapman, Taunton Watershed Advocate
For more information on the Taunton Watershed Campaign, see:
http://campaign.savethetaunton.org
Sanctuaries
Local advocacy efforts are undertaken at each of the Society's sanctuaries. Contact your local Sanctuary for a current description of advocacy efforts.
Advocacy's Involvement in State Task Forces
Jack Clarke, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations, has represented Mass Audubon in three state task forces which have issued reports and recommendations to the Governor and Secretary of Environmental Affairs. They include:
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Publications
The Advocacy Department has produced or helped produce several publications designed to promote effective citizen involvement with biological conservation and growth management. To request publications please e-mail or call 781-259-2171.
- Losing Ground: describes and maps recent trends in development and levels of protection afforded "open space" in Massachusetts (free).
- Shaping the Future of Your Community: Originally published in 1998, this publication describes the state and local government bodies and laws associated with land management and natural resource protection. The updated version, available for download, has enhanced tools for effective citizen involvement, and helpful tips on how to get involved and make a difference in your community (June 2007).
- Golf Courses and the Environment: describes Massachusetts Audubon's position on golf courses, their impacts on natural habitats and wildlife, and a movement towards more ecological course design (published 1999, 6 pages, free).
- Legislative Report Card/Roll Calls: an annual compilation of the environmental voting records of the members of the Massachusetts Legislature (free).
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