Massachusetts Audubon Society

Gordon Hall in Lincoln, Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Audubon Society, founded in 1896 by Harriet Hemenway and headquartered in Lincoln, Massachusetts, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "Protecting the nature of Massachusetts." Mass Audubon is independent of the National Audubon Society, and in fact was founded earlier.

Together with more than 100,000 members, Mass Audubon cares for 35,000 acres (140 km²) of conservation land, provides educational programs for 225,000 children and adults annually, and advocates for sound environmental policies at local, state, and federal levels. Mass Audubon's mission and actions have expanded since its beginning in 1896 when its founders set out to stop the slaughter of birds for use on women's fashions. Today Mass Audubon is the largest conservation organization in New England. Mass Audubon's statewide network of wildlife sanctuaries, in 90 Massachusetts communities, welcomes visitors of all ages and serves as the base for its work.

History

The Massachusetts Audubon Society (or Mass Audubon) was the born out of Harriet Hemenway's desire to stop the commercial slaughter of birds for women's ornamental hats. Hemenway and her cousin, Minna Hall, soon enlisted 900 women and formed a partnership with many from Boston's scientific community to form their organization. They named the organization the Massachusetts Audubon Society in honor of the bird painter John James Audubon. In 1905, a national committee of Audubon societies was developed. This committee was vital in passing the Migratory Bird Conservation Act in 1913 and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 with Great Britain. The passage of these measures effectively eliminated the commercial plume trade. The Massachusetts Audubon Society purchased its first parcel of land on September 9, 1922. The acquisition was a 43-acre plot in the town of Sharon, Massachusetts. This parcel is the core of the Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary.

Wildlife sanctuaries

Mass Audubon's statewide network of wildlife sanctuaries, in 90 Massachusetts communities, welcomes visitors of all ages and is a home for more than 150 endangered and threatened native species.

• Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, Westport
• Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton
• Blue Hills Trailside Museum, Milton
• Boston Nature Center, Mattapan
• Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, Worcester
• Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, Natick
• Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield
• Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, Lincoln
• Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Edgartown
• Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, Belmont
• Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield
• Joppa Flats Education Center
• Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, Barnstable
• Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharon
• North River Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield
• Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary, Attleboro
• Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox
• Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Norfolk
• Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, Princeton
• Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, South Wellfleet
• Mass Audubon Museum of American Bird Art, Canton

External links

• Massachusetts Audubon Society
• Sanctuary magazine, published by the Massachusetts Audubon Society