Introduction

Wood Turtle: Bill Byrne ©2002 MassWildlife

A major function of the Natural Heritage Program is to collect information on the abundance, distribution, and conservation needs of rare species and significant natural communities. This information is collected through field surveys, reviews of the scientific literature and research by staff biologists and cooperators around the state, including contractors working under the Small Research Contracts Program (SRC) funded by Natural Heritage. The information collected is used as the basis for management decisions, species recovery strategies, and ecological restoration.

Rare species in Massachusetts are threatened primarily by habitat loss or degradation. Click on Species Conservation to view examples of how Natural Heritage has used environmental regulations, habitat management, key land acquisitions and species recovery projects to restore the state's native biodiversity.

The Ecological Restoration Program focuses on sites of exceptional ecological significance identified by Natural Heritage on public lands under permanent conservation protection. The program works to restore ecological processes that have historically helped to maintain the biodiversity at these sites, and to control invasive exotic plants that threaten our native species.

The Natural Heritage Program also collects information on rare and uncommon natural communities in Massachusetts whose preservation is necessary to conserving the diversity of the types of vegetation in the state.

Questions or comments to:natural.heritage@state.ma.us

Last updated: 1/16/07