Mass Audubon Hires Fran Blanchard as Chief of Sanctuaries and Education

Mass Audubon, the largest nature-based conservation organization in New England, has hired Fran Blanchard as its Chief of Sanctuaries and Education to oversee the operation and stewardship of our network of 110 wildlife sanctuaries across the Commonwealth and our nationally-recognized environmental education programs.

This new role at the 129-year-old nonprofit is a pivotal one that is responsible for increased visitation, ensuring sanctuaries are models of ecological stewardship, and creating a sense of belonging and a positive visitor experience that instills a love of nature and the outdoors. Blanchard will oversee the wildlife sanctuary system from the Berkshires to the Cape and Islands and support Mass Audubon’s overall mission of protecting the nature of Massachusetts for wildlife and people.

Most recently, she worked as the Senior Director of Strategic Readiness Initiatives at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Blanchard also has 11 years of experience at The Trustees of Reservations as Vice President of Stewardship and Decarbonization.

“Fran is a proven leader with demonstrable experience in the nonprofit world, environmental stewardship, and climate and nature action,” said David O’Neill, President & CEO of Mass Audubon. “This new role is a vital one as we optimize our sanctuary network as models of ecological stewardship to advance our bold conservation goals and create a unified visitation strategy to grow the public’s love for nature, and Fran’s background makes her uniquely qualified to achieve these complementary objectives.”

In addition to enhancing the experience for guests and increasing membership and visitation to wildlife sanctuaries, Blanchard will also ensure sanctuaries are managed in an ecologically responsible way, prioritize capital projects, oversee a nature-based education strategy, and make sure Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility (DEIJA) is a thread woven through every part of Mass Audubon.

“Working directly at the intersection of the properties and resources we steward is my specialty, which is why I’m so thrilled to be joining the extremely capable team at Mass Audubon,” Blanchard said. “This is an opportunity to build community by protecting some of the most special places in the state, and I’m looking forward to bringing my energy and passion to Mass Audubon to accomplish our common goals.”

Before her time at DCR and The Trustees, Blanchard was General Manager at Parterre Garden Services where she managed large-scale landscape maintenance and projects. She has a master’s degree in environmental Sustainability from the Harvard Extension School and a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Holyoke College. Blanchard currently lives in Randolph with her husband where she is on the local Conservation Commission.

Her first day at Mass Audubon is Monday, August 4^th.