Press Room

Mass Audubon’s Duck Derby fundraiser at Allens Pond has long been an eagerly anticipated event each August and now the popular wildlife sanctuary on Buzzards Bay is doubling down on mid-month fun with its inaugural Summer Celebration, taking place Saturday, August 14.

The 18th annual Duck Derby takes place this year on the following Thursday, August 19.

Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center Wildlife Sanctuary (BNC) has been named a 2021 Best Of Boston® Winner for “Best Kids’ Classes” in the Service category of the popular annual feature.

The annual awards—presented in multiple lifestyle areas for all that is “best” in the city of Boston and beyond—have been overseen by Boston Magazine for more than four decades.

Mass Audubon has promoted Nia Keith Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), a new executive-level position that will help advance organization-wide DEIJ priorities. 

In her new role, Keith will be responsible for building on and advancing the organization’s DEIJ strategy to ensure it is creating a positive, inclusive, and equitable work environment, and support the organization’s work to create greater access to nature for everyone.

Victoria Jones has been named Mass Audubon’s Chief Development Officer. Victoria, former President of Development Guild DDI, a national nonprofit management consulting firm based in Boston and New York City, brings to Mass Audubon more than 30 years of experience as a respected development executive and fundraising leader.

Bear Hole, a 1,400-acre ecologically diverse greenspace located in West Springfield and Holyoke, is now permanently protected.  

To make this vision a reality, Mass Audubon and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) purchased a Conservation Restriction (CR) on the land. While the CR ensures that the property will never be developed, West Springfield will continue to own and manage the property.