Massachusetts' Wildlife Presentation at WLT Annual Meeting

When the first colonists began settling in Massachusetts, wildlife seemed to be limitless. As homesteads were cut into the countryside, competing predators were killed and land was cleared for agriculture. By the 1830s over 70% of the Massachusetts landscape had been deforested and most of our larger wildlife species were gone. At the Waltham Land Trust’s 17th Annual Meeting on October 25, Dr. Thomas French, Director of the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (MassWildlife), will talk about the early settlement of Massachusetts and how the public’s attitude towards wildlife has dramatically changed over time. Unfortunately, it took the loss of most of our forests and large wildlife to raise public concern. However over the past several decades, many of our large species have returned as the forests have regrown and matured. Today, our native species and ecosystems continue to be threatened by ever expanding development that continues to eliminate and fragment habitat, a growing network of roads and traffic volume, and increasing impacts from invasive species, but there are many success stories of which to be proud. Dr. French will explain and show photographs about the past history and current restoration efforts of MassWildlife to protect the state’s biodiversity.

The Waltham Land Trust’s 17th Annual Meeting starts at 7 pm on Tuesday, October 25, and will be in Whitcomb Hall of First Parish Church located at 50 Church Street in Waltham. Learn more about the WLT by attending the meeting, visiting our website at walthamlandtrust.org, or calling the WLT office at 781-893-3355.