$1 Billion for Nature & Climate: An Overview
Unprecedented levels of federal and state funds for COVID relief and infrastructure are on the table. We have a once-in-generation chance to meaningfully address chronic underinvestment of nature and climate, clean up our air and water and landscapes, and build communities that are more resilient to a changing climate.
Mass Audubon's $1 Billion for Nature & Climate advocacy campaign will drive investments in nature by using our collective power and voice.
Funding for nature and climate does double duty. Investments in nature help our communities by reducing the impacts of extreme climate-induced weather (flooding, heat waves, and drought) while also enhancing our carbon sink to mitigate against climate change. Benefits of nature-based climate solutions also include clean water and air, biodiversity, wildlife protection, and the outdoor recreation economy. And never has the importance of nature to our physical and mental health been more evident than during the pandemic.
As a thought leader on nature and climate policy, Mass Audubon is commissioning an economic analysis to quantify these benefits.
Nature is critical for our well-being, state of mind, and health. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been more important to people than ever. As nature and climate have been under-valued, so has research around the nexus between nature and human emotional, mental, and physical health. Watch Mass Audubon’s Becky Cushing Gop make the case via a TEDx Talk >
Why Us?
Together, Mass Audubon members, supporters, visitors, advisors, and staff across the Commonwealth are our best advocates for the investments we know we all need in nature and climate. We have more than 125 years of experience advocating for birds and nature, protecting land and natural resources, and providing opportunities for Bay Staters to get outside.
- We have 140,000 members, supporters, and advocates just like you across the state.
- We have over 100 wildlife sanctuaries and protect 40,000 acres.
- We have expertise in policy, conservation science, land management, and nature education.
- We have an extraordinary network of partners to build from and expand this work.
Why Now?
Over the coming months and into the future, state leaders will make decisions about new funding sources.
These include Federal COVID funds (the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA); the state’s annual budget, and the Biden Administration's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The state legislature has already allocated $377 million in funds to these priorities. We believe that we can meaningfully build upon this initial investment and make sure that $1 billion in federal and state funds flow to nature and climate, including some of Mass Audubon’s highest priority nature and climate resiliency projects as envisioned in our Action Agenda.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send us an email.
Campaign Resources
We'll be adding more to this section—be sure to check back for updates.
Downloads
Press Coverage
→ Boston Business Journal | Amid ARPA debates, Mass Audubon chief urges $1B investment in climate measures
→ Dorchester Reporter | Boston Nature Center breaks ground on its new solar array
→ Lowell Sun | Rollie's Farm preservation hailed as climate change prevention effort
→ WWLP’s “Mass Appeal” | What’s being done to protect West Springfield’s Bear Hole Reservoir
→ Berkshire Eagle | Mass Audubon gets $200,000 in ARPA money to help repair damage to Pleasant Valley after microburst windstorm
→ Boston Business Journal (subscription required) | Race to space: Mass Audubon CEO discusses the rush to spend time outdoors
→ Commonwealth Magazine | ARPA money needed for nature, open
→ Boston Globe | Mass Audubon president prods Legislature for more parks funding