MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program is responsible for the conservation and protection of wildlife species that are not considered game species and the natural communities that make up their habitats. The focus of the Program is on conservation and restoration of the 427 native plants and animals listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act.

Funding for the Program relies, in part, on individual contributions, NOT on general fund tax dollars. Your help does make a difference!  It supports the field surveys, research, habitat management, regulatory review, and land protection for the hundreds of rare creatures and plants in the Bay State.

If you care about the future of our wildlife and wild places here in Massachusetts, you can contribute in one of several ways:

  1. Make a donation on your MA state income tax return (line 33a) for Endangered Wildlife Conservation.

    Contributions by this method in 2017 were $312,297 by just over 23,000 individuals.  (2016 – $302,603, 24,082 individuals contributed)

  2. Make a Direct Donation! (it’s tax deductible)Send a check payable to

    “Comm. of MA-NHESP” and mail to:
    MassWildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA  01581
    – OR –
    Donate online with your credit card as a “Guest Customer” through MassFishHunt, MassWildlife’s licensing system. Direct donations through this method in 2017 totaled $7,891 dollars, up from $6103 in 2016.

There’s plenty of room for improvement!

Reflect on the success of the Bald Eagle restoration effort that began in 1982. This past year, a record-breaking 76 territorial eagle pairs were documented in Massachusetts! Observations from birders and other interested citizens played a big part in this documentation. MassWildlife depends on reports of eagle nests or observations of eagles carrying sticks from birders like you to monitor these magnificent birds.

MassWildlife and others are sure there are more eagle nests out there that haven’t been found or documented. For instance, who will find and confirm the first eagle nest on Cape Cod?!

Additional ways to support NHESP’S efforts can be found at www.mass.gov/service-details/support-endangered-species-conservation

Thank you for your support, whether it’s a donation, reporting observations or telling others about this important program that conserves wildlife for everyone to enjoy!

Remember – line 33a on your Massachusetts state tax return!

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Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley

Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming.  What key field [...]

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]

Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley

Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming.  What key field [...]

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]

Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley

Member Webinar August 13: The Art and Craft of Shorebird Identification with Lisa Schibley Shorebirds are among the most fascinating and diverse groups of birds, but identifying them can sometimes feel overwhelming.  What key field [...]

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier

Member Webinar September 16: Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep with Roger Pasquier Everybody enjoys watching birds during the daytime, but what do they do at night, when they seem to [...]

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Upcoming Field Trips

The Quiet Beauty of Birding at Winthrop Beach

Winthrop - DCR Winthrop Beach Reservation - Sturgis St 59 Winthrop Shore Drive, Winthrop, MA, United States

Join DCR park staff for a leisurely walk across sandy stretches and areas of loose rocks at this Massachusetts State Reservation, a well-known hot spot for birdwatching. We'll be on the lookout for shorebirds, waterbirds, and gulls. Binoculars are recommended. Suitable for adults and children ages 8 and up (with an accompanying adult). Sponsored by [...]

Fruitlands Museum, Harvard

Harvard - Fruitlands Museum 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard, MA, United States

All the nesting birds will still be around, with good views of young out of the nest being fed by parents: Veery, Indigo Bunting, Catbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Tree Swallow, Bobolink, Wood Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, and Warblers. Expect to walk about 2 miles on trails through meadow and woods with some steep sections. Heavy rain cancels [...]

Birch Hill WMA

Royalston - Birch Hill WMA Royalston, MA, United States

Includes three to five miles of walking relatively flat terrain. Might include some bushwacking. Driving on hard packed dirt roads. Co-sponsored with the Athol Bird & Nature Club.

Southwick WMA

Southwick WMA - Suffield WMA entrance Point Grove Road, Suffield, CT, United States

We will hike the fields focusing on grassland breeders, particularly Eastern Meadowlark and Grasshopper Sparrow.

Millennium Park

Boston - Millennium Park Canoe Launch 300 Gardner Street, Boston, MA, United States

Join the Brookline Bird Club in collaboration with Boston Nature Center to look for birds in a unique urban habitat that often draws numerous uncommon and rare birds.Target birds include bobolinks, egrets, flycatchers, grosbeaks, herons, owls, rails, ravens, sandpipers, swallows & swifts, vultures, warblers, and woodpeckers. Birders of all levels will enjoy this trip. The [...]

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