Member Profile

Northeast Wilderness Trust

26

https://newildernesstrust.org/

  • 13.9%
  • 11
United States

Our Mission

Our mission is to conserve forever-wild landscapes for nature and people.

At Northeast Wilderness Trust we believe that wild nature deserves the freedom to flourish. On forever-wild lands people take a step back and natural processes unfold freely. The 37,000+ acres of wildlands safeguarded by Northeast Wilderness Trust are places where all species can thrive and evolve. And when we make a choice to protect wilderness, it offers incredible gifts in return:

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50% by 2050

Why 2020?

We can stop the sixth mass extinction if we protect approximately 50% of the 846 ecoregions that provide habitat for all of Earth's biodiversity. That means finding leaders and organizations around the world willing to align exisiting efforts around protecting and interconnecting nature in the region.

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Our Approach

Forever-wild conservation is about freedom for wildlife, natural processes, and the untrammeled evolution of the landscape. This sort of conservation offers land the opportunity to heal and rewild, often after centuries of hard use. In a wild landscape, trees grow old and store massive amounts of carbon. Trees also fall and remain in place, providing shelter to diverse species and adding richness back into forest soils.
  1. Biodiversity In wild forests, a cornucopia of species can be found. Old and young trees, standing dead trees (snags), and fallen trees and branches (woody debris) create a mixed canopy and understory. This complex forest structure supports a myriad of niche habitats often absent from young and managed forests.
  2. Resilience Vast, interconnected habitats offer the best hope for species to survive and adapt to climate change as weather events become more unpredictable and temperatures rise. In general, complex habitats are resilient habitats. No matter the state of a forest when the Wilderness Trust first protects it, from that day forward, it will grow in age and complexity year after year, becoming more resilient as time goes on.
  3. Carbon Storage Old forests store immense amounts of carbon. Across our portfolio of 37,000+ protected acres, there are approximately 3 million metric tons of potential carbon storage. Legally protecting forests as forever-wild—sometimes called proforestation—is among the most cost-effective and efficient tools to combat climate change.
  4. Reciprocity Connecting to wild places, with awe and respect, is a deeply human act. Since the beginning of time, cultures all across the globe have revered and honored wild places, often designating beautiful or unique natural places as spiritual, religious, or cultural sites.

Climate Change & Wilderness

Right here in the Northeast, we can make a difference for the future of our climate and environment simply by allowing more forests to capture and store their full potential of carbon. At this critical moment of climate chaos, protecting wildlands—now—is a courageous act of hope.

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Wildlands Partnership

Northeast Wilderness Trust is working to dramatically accelerate the pace of regional wilderness conservation through our Wildlands Partnership. Partner land trusts receive funding to protect land as forever-wild, and may enroll wildlands in the carbon market through the Partnership to receive additional, unrestricted income with little risk.

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How to Help

If you believe that we have a window of opportunity to end the Sixth Mass Extinction by protecting half of nature, act today and become a part of a global community transforming society's relationship with the natural world!

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Become a Member

Building political will for nature starts with building community. When your organization joins Nature Needs Half you create new opportunities for change in your region.
Donate

Support our work to protect half of nature. Your contributions go towards expanding and strengthening local coalitions around the world working to protect half of their regions.
Sign the Declaration

When you sign the Nature Needs Half Declaration you publicly declare your support for a respectful relationship with nature and build momentum for change!