Sustaining Sandplain Grasslands as Regional Biodiversity Hotspots: The Sandplain Grassland Network Conference

The Sandplain Grassland Network held a virtual meeting, Sustaining Sandplain Grasslands as Regional Biodiversity Hotspots, on Monday November 15. The meeting featured more than a dozen short lightning talks on grassland and associated shrubland and heathland management and conservation. It also featured discussion of major conservation concerns including managing for more

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Expanded Disk Harrowing and Native Seed Addition Management for Sandplain Grassland Restoration

The Nantucket Conservation Foundation (NCF) is expanding habitat management work within its Middle Moors properties on Nantucket Island, MA to incorporate disk harrowing and native seed addition as a sandplain grassland restoration technique. NCF is a private, non-profit land trust formed in 1963 that currently protects 9,010 acres (or approximately

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Sandplain Grassland Restoration through Japanese Black Pine Management on Nantucket

The Linda Loring Nature Foundation, located on Nantucket Island, has been working since 2018 on habitat restoration by removing non-native invasive species, particularly Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii). The Linda Loring Nature Foundation (LLNF) is a conservation land trust of approximately 275 acres. The existing vegetation consists of a mix

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Opportunity to Expand Sandplain Grassland Habitat in and around Former Cranberry Bogs

Sandplain Grassland Network (SGN) is exploring the potential to incorporate restoration of sandplain grasslands into future cranberry bog restoration projects being planned by the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) and various landowners. From Left to Right: Bob Wernerehl, Karen Beattie, Eric Ford, and Alex Hackman. Photo Credit: Chris Neill

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TNC & The Town of Edgartown Partner to Manage Sandplain Grasslands in Katama Plains

TNC & The Town of Edgartown Partner to Manage Sandplain Grasslands in Katama Plains This winter, The Nature Conservancy partnered with The Town of Edgartown to manage for sandplain grassland habitat in Katama Plains on Martha’s Vineyard with support from the MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program. The $27,400 grant went

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Commonwealth’s Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Habitat Management Grants Key to Restoring Sandplain Grassland in MA

In recent years the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Habitat Management Grant Program has funded several conservation groups working to restore globally rare sandplain grasslands on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. The program contributed $155,000 for restoration actions in 2019 and 2020 to four organizations part of the Sandplain Grassland Network:

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Regional Sandplain Grassland Managers Meet on Long Island

By Chris Neill — Sandplain grassland managers from New York and New England met September 25 and 26 on Long Island share knowledge, expertise, and experiences about coastal grasslands to help advance conservation and adaptive management. Sandplain grasslands of the Northeast are one of the region’s most ecologically and culturally

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Sandplain Grassland Managers Plan Meeting and Field Trips on Long Island

By Polly Weigand – The Sandplain Grassland Network will host a meeting and field trips on Long Island on September 24 and 25. The meeting will bring together sandplain grassland managers from New York and New England and will feature visits to featured Long Island Grasslands.

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Resampling at Bamford Preserve on Martha’s Vineyard

By Chris Neill — Restoring native species-rich coastal sandplain grasslands onto agricultural grasslands dominated by non-native cool season grasses could expand and connect existing sandplain grasslands.

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Sandplain Grasslands at the Cape Cod Natural History Conference

Chris Neill gave a talk on the Sandplain Grassland Network’s findings at the Cape Cod Natural History Conference on March 9 at Cape Cod Community College. Chris’ talk was entitled, Managing Northeastern US Coastal Sandplain Grasslands in a Brave New World. It covered ways managers can maintain high-diversity grasslands in

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