News  MassWildlife and MassDOT partner on award winning project

MassWildlife and MassDOT received a biennial achievement award this October for their collaborative Linking Landscapes of Massachusetts Wildlife Program. Now in its 10^th year, “Linking Landscapes” was established to minimize the impact of the existing road network on rare wildlife while improving highway safety. This mission is achieved through research, planning, and implementation of a variety of projects across Massachusetts. Both agencies were on-hand to receive the award at the 2018 Northeastern Transportation and Wildlife Conference at UMass Amherst.

Linking Landscapes is a long-term and multifaceted volunteer-based monitoring program.  The objectives are to: 1) Reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve public safety, 2) Enhance, protect, and restore habitats impacted by roads, 3) Incorporate conservation priorities into transportation planning, and 4) Implement wildlife transportation and research.

Projects implemented through the Linking Landscapes program include black bear research, peregrine falcon nest boxes, turtle research and protection, moose/vehicle collision reduction, proactive wetland restoration, and wildlife passage research and design. “The success of this program is in a large part fueled by data provided by the public and the ability to collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders,” says David Paulson, MassWildlife’s Linking Landscapes Project Coordinator.  “Reports about roadkill and turtle and amphibian crossings can help us better understand the interaction of roads and wildlife on a developing landscape. These reports can identify hot spots, which helps in planning.” Find out how you can report wildlife observations and learn more about the Program.