NATURE

The biggest news in Massachusetts environmental philanthropy is that the field itself is integrating, as a strategy to increase its political and philanthropic effectiveness. This is the first major field of philanthropy to do so, but because it is powerfully encouraged by advances in information technology, and because increased effectiveness will surely result—for each institution, for environmental philanthropy, and for the environment itself — other fields of philanthropy will follow this leading example. This is very good news for the Massachusetts environment. The Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM — Cat’97 — [link]), reports that government has been cutting back on its environmental budgets from a high of (only) $230 million in 2001. In 2003 Massachusetts ranked 49th in the nation on per capita environmental spending. These government withdrawals, ELM says, have contributed to environmental deterioration.

Our philanthropic environmental organizations, on the other hand, have never been stronger. Some are national leaders in their fields, with distinguished histories—many have celebrated their centennials. Their increasing collaboration is encouraged by the compactness of the field (just over 200 charities), the clarity of the issues, and strong popular interest and support for environmental issues as they relate to quality of life.

ELM is a central player in this historic integration. We presented them in 1998, when they were celebrating their centennial; we reported that in the previous year they had formed an “Environmental Collaborative of Massachusetts,” then 35 charitable organizations who were associating for increased political influence and program effectiveness. Today the Collaborative has 61 institutional members and has gained momentum. In September they published the first purportedly annual report on the State of the Environment in Massachusetts, according to about 20 environmental-quality indicators which they will monitor continally. Together with their “Green Budgets,” which quantify what environmental agencies need to carry out their missions, and a “Citizen’s Guide to the Massachusetts Environment” to be published early in 2007, identifying decision-makers and information providers for programs and policies affecting the environment, ELM and other Collaborative members will increasingly speak with one focused voice to shape the public discourse and set the environmental action agenda in Massachusetts.

What is “The State of the Environment in Massachusetts”? This first Report says that on the whole, the Massachusetts environment is slowly deteriorating, owing primarily to human activities and declining public investments in our air, water, land and general environmental health. The Report is not a “sky is falling” polemic, but rather states in sober, factual and constructive terms that what we need is not so much new laws and regulations, as simply to implement, manage and fund the laws and programs already on the books. The Report also calls for increased environmental data-gathering and analysis, because in too many cases we don’t actually know what is happening.

All this will help government do its job better and more cost-effectively. We owe our environmental quality more to philanthropy, than to either government or business. Massachusetts is still, for most of us, a nice place to live, with a good quality of life. Our air isn’t like Beijing’s or Mexico City’s, our rivers aren’t like those of Eastern Europe, etc., precisely because with philanthropic leadership we began serious environmental protection 40 years ago. Where would we be without this “private assumption of public responsibilities?”

For these reasons, we need to support all environmental charities more. The Catalogue hopes the Collaborative will also establish a program to promote increased charitable giving to the environment. We believe there is actually more room for growth in environmental philanthropy than in government funding. While government has been cutting back, philanthropy has been steadily, and in some cases dramatically, increasing. Nationwide, in 1997 environmental giving stood at 2.7%; in 2005 the environment’s share was 3.4% of a pie twice as large (Giving USA). Catalogue donors do better — about 10%. There is no doubt that we can do much better, in both percentages and dollars.

The bottom line for environmental quality is biodiversity, and the healthier the environment, the greater is its biodiversity. In this area Massachusetts is blessed with a number of national and international leaders, whom we have listed in the Catalogue. Two world leaders are the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences (Cat’02 — [link]), which operates at every level from local to global, and from practical to theoretical, with more accomplishments than we can begin to cite here. Another is the Woods Hole Research Center (Cat’97 — [link]), now under the new leadership of John P. Holdren, after the retirement in 2004 of its very distinguished founding director, George M. Woodwell.

In 1997 we also listed the New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS — [link]), then approaching its centennial in 2000 but already a national leader in plant conservation for having created the New England Plant Conservation Program—the nation’s first regional plant conservation system—engaging 68 government agencies and charitable organizations in all six states. Since 1997, NEWFS’ budget is up 231% (to $2.7 million), and its staff increased from 35 to 51; it has created a model Plant Conservation Corps, now over 600 trained volunteers, to help survey and manage over 1,000 wild plant populations annually. In 2003 NEWFS’ efforts were rewarded by the delisting of a federally-designated endangered species. To promote native plant horticulture and ecologically appropriate landscaping, NEWFS has published guides to the New England flora, and is building the nation’s largest native plant nursery, to propagate and distribute over 100,000 specimens of 575 native species. In biodiversity conservation, that of plants has been the most successful, and NEWFS is leading the way.

The National Marine Life Center (Cat’00 — [link]) is another national leader in biodiversity, specializing in offsite rescue and conservation. This year they released into the wild a first crop of Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles—a critically endangered species. They are installing pipes to import seawater from the Cape Code Canal into their clinic. Since Catalogue listing, their budget and staff have nearly quintupled. They raised over $23,000 from Catalogue donors, including one new $100 donation three years later. As they put it, “There is a measure of respect through listing that lasts far beyond the annual Catalogue.”

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay (SHSB — Cat’97 — [link]) was instrumental in creating the 34-island Boston Harbor Islands National Park (1996). This year, collaborating with 24 environmental, community, business, and recreation groups, they helped save the Park by preventing the nation’s largest Liquid Natural Gas terminal/depot from being sited on Outer Brewster Island. With the Charles River Watershed Association (Cat’98 — [link]), the U.S. EPA and Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, SHSB has produced a plan to nearly eliminate, by 2013, discharge of raw sewage into the Charles River. Another collaboration will make Dorchester and South Boston urban beaches among the nation’s cleanest by 2010. SHSB has also raised nearly $4 million in federal funds to create the South Bay Harbor Trail—a bike trail to reconnect the Harbor to inner-city neighborhoods.

WalkBoston (WB — Cat’99 — [link]) is dedicated to keeping Boston a “walkable” city—not a trivial pursuit when tourism is one of our top industries (over $9 billion, with 18 of the 25 most-visited sites run by philanthropic organizations). The first charity in the nation to give pedestrians a voice in urban planning and transportation, WB though small has been highly effective. Since being listed, their budget has quintupled, to $260,000 and their staff multiplied sevenfold, to 3.5 FTEs. They say their Catalogue listing gained new major donors, enabled the staff to professionalize, and the organization to become more fully institutionalized. Their current focus: the new Rose Kennedy Greenway.

The Association to Preserve Cape Cod (Cat’98 — [link]) was listed on their 30th anniversary, as the only environmental organization serving the Cape as a whole — and with a long history of accomplishment. They are now in a period of significant growth: in the eight years since listing, membership has increased by 72% (to 5,500); grant dollars are up 344%; staff has almost doubled, from 4.5 to 8. Significant legislative successes are in promoting a “Smart Growth” strategy for the Cape, to protect the aquifer and the biodiversity of its many habitats.

The Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC — Cat’98— [link]), is a good example of philanthropy partnering with local government. Since listing, MACC has grown dramatically in programs and influence. Their budget is up 133%, to over $400,000. Training and support programs have served over 2,500 volunteer conservation commissioners statewide. Their new advanced certificate program has increased the influence of commissions in their local communities, and their website has been significantly upgraded to provide a wide range of resources to local commissions.

The Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust (Cat’98 — [link]) since their listing has nearly tripled their budget and staff. Programs now include historic preservation, for which they were awarded in 2000 the Massachusetts Preservation Award for saving Spaulding House. Their major project now is the Concord River Greenway, for which they have raised $875,000 for construction. In modest circumstances, this vital organization is setting a fine example of urban environmental protection and enhancement.

The Blue Hill Observatory Science Center (Cat’99 — [link]) has completed a $1 million renovation and transformation of the original observatory. Now serving nearly 10,000 students annually, their budget has multiplied tenfold, to $250,000. They are a weather monitoring station for both the federal EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and in 2001 they received a national award from the American Meteorological Society for “best service to the meteorological community.” Now they have a new building project for your support: a green building for more teaching and exhibit space, and even better environmental education.

The Maria Mitchell Association of Nantucket (Cat’99 — [link]) has experienced a period of “almost unimaginable” growth, whose momentum they say was boosted by our listing. They have added a visitors center, a second dome on the observatory, and a state-of-the-art aquarium on Nantucket Harbor; published a widely-sold Field Guide to the Marine Life of Nantucket; expanded all research and teaching activities; endowed two staff positions—education director and natural science director; and are acquiring a new 24” research telescope. Their “Women in Science” Award is generously funded by national foundations. In an ever-more affluent setting, this institution is gaining increased national recognition.

On a more domesticated front, Worcester’s Tower Hill Botanic Garden (Cat’02 — [link]) is, well, flourishing. It just keeps growing and growing, in size, distinction, and horticultural leadership. They too experienced the long shelf-life of the Catalogue, with a new-donor check arriving almost three years after their listing.