30x30 Catalyst Fund Projects

Mass Audubon is developing a wellspring of critical biodiverse and carbon-rich land conservation projects to benefit people and wildlife and advance climate resilience in communities across Massachusetts.

We have more than 20 Catalyst Fund land protection projects underway, totaling approximately 18,000 acres. Our land conservation team is working with landowners, regional land conservation organizations, and state and local agencies to advance these projects that will help meet the Commonwealth’s 30x30 conservation goal.

Examples of Catalyst Fund Projects

The 30x30 Catalyst Fund will support an abundance of dynamic land conservation opportunities including:

Rolling green hills leading into a stream at the edge of a forest

Osgood Brook Land | ~212 acres | Wendell, MA

Fee Acquisition

Surrounded on three sides by Wendell State Forest and Mass Audubon’s Whetstone Wood Wildlife Sanctuary, the Osgood Brook property in Wendell links thousands of acres of public and private conservation land. Encompassing more than 212-acres, this land anchors a crucial ecological corridor, connecting a richly diverse, resilient, forest with an actively recovering Coldwater Fisheries Resource.

The current landowners undertook significant ecological restoration on the site with the recent removal of the Bowens Pond dam, which was constructed in 1936 and had become a liability. The restored riparian corridor will improve water quality and support the natural movement of fish upstream and downstream.

The protection of this land helps solidify an unbroken wildlife corridor across the north-central region of Massachusetts, supporting species movement, climate-driven range shifts, and watershed resilience. If successful, Mass Audubon plans to open the property to the public as a new wildlife sanctuary, including trails and parking area.

Target closing date: June 2027

Project cost: $950,000

Chickley River Land | ~342 acres | Hawley, MA

Pre-Acquisition

Mass Audubon is working to acquire approximately 342 acres in Hawley on behalf of the Commonwealth—one of the largest and most significant unprotected tracts of land in the northwestern corner of Massachusetts. Located along the Chickley River, this forested parcel includes three quarters of a mile of riparian corridor, a state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife designated cold-water fishery, and rare species habitat near the western edge of the property.

A conservation priority for the Commonwealth, the tremendous ecological value of this land is reflected in its mapping as 100% BioMap Core Habitat and Critical Natural Landscape. Mass Audubon is partnering with the MA Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to ensure its permanent protection, utilizing the Catalyst Fund to meet the landowner’s timeline to sell the property. Mass Audubon will hold the property until DFG is ready to acquire it, recoup most of the funds and invest them in future 30x30 projects.

Acquisition closing date: January 2027. Transfer date, TBD.

Project cost: $1 million

Magnolia Reserve | 94 acres | Gloucester, MA

30x30 Partner Project: Essex County Greenbelt Association

The Essex County Greenbelt Association (“Greenbelt”) has an exciting opportunity to permanently protect approximately 94 acres of ecologically significant land in Gloucester. The Magnolia Reserve property borders the 600-acre Ravenswood Park and connects to other conservation lands owned by the City of Gloucester and Greenbelt. Protecting this land will knit the conserved areas together, strengthening habitat connectivity and ensuring the long-term integrity of this diverse, forested landscape. The property features woodlands, wetlands, rocky outcrops, and an existing trail network.

Target closing date: December 2026.

Project cost: $2 million ($500,000 from the Catalyst Fund)