How does conserved land benefit you?

When we conserve the land, we’re safeguarding fertile places to grow our food, clean air to breathe and water to drink, places for wildlife to make their homes as the climate changes, and natural places for us to explore. And, we’re also providing ourselves with the chance to live healthier lives —physically, mentally, and socially.

Clean Water & Air

Trees and plants are essential to the air we breathe and the water we drink. Forests absorb rainfall and snow melt, and help the soils filter ground water and recharge the aquifers and reservoirs that provide our drinking water.

Local Food

Farmers must have productive land to grow the food we eat. Some of the best quality soils in the world are found in the Pioneer Valley. Since good farmland is often flat and open, farmlands are at risk of being lost to development unless they are permanently protected. Agriculture is also integral to our regional economy: farmland that has been conserved is less expensive for farmers to purchase, making farming more financially viable.

Places for Wildlife

The Pioneer Valley is home to a rich diversity of wildlife from the largest black bear to the smallest dwarf mussel. Every species needs the right place and space to play its part in the web of life that sustains our region and our planet.

Healthier Communities

Even with so much technology at our fingertips, more than ever we need ways to reconnect with nature—and with each other. Spending time in parks, on trails, or at other natural places improves our physical health and mental wellbeing, and brings people together. Having woods and fields to explore lets you find a deeper relationship with the plants and animals that share your home in the Valley.

What is Community Conservation? →