Lincoln-based Mass Audubon has received a $25 million gift spanning seven years from mathematical computing software MathWorks to help protect and restore the Commonwealth’s valuable natural lands.
The gift of $7 million in year one and $3 million in each of the six subsequent years is the largest programmatic gift in Mass Audubon’s 127-year history and will be used to acquire, restore, and preserve properties to their natural state, particularly in coastal areas. One example of such work already going on is the “rewilding” of retired cranberry bogs at Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Plymouth.
“This extraordinary commitment to protecting the nature of Massachusetts is nothing short of transformative, and we are forever grateful for MathWorks’ overwhelming generosity,” said David O’Neill, president of Mass Audubon. “It’s so heartening to see a world-renowned company like MathWorks prioritize the natural world, and we are honored they are entrusting us to carry out such important work.”
Since the gift spans several years, “there’s not a lot of specifics right now” on how the funds might impact Drumlin Farm or other wildlife sanctuaries overseen by Mass Audubon, said Aaron Gouveia, the organization’s director of public relations.
“The opportunity for nature to play a role in fighting climate change is more vital than ever,” said Jeanne O’Keefe, SVP and CFO of MathWorks, said in a press release. “Between Mass Audubon’s 127-year history of conservation and MathWorks’ commitment to its local communities and green initiatives, we’re confident this kind of partnership will inspire even more corporate social responsibility and lead to the protection of outdoor spaces that benefit people and wildlife across the state.”
In fiscal 2022, Mass Audubon received $8.87 million in gifts, grants, and government contracts, according to its annual report for that year. Its operating budget in 2022 was $32.53 million. In 2019 (the most recent data readily available), MathWorks more than $9.7 million for educational programs, which included research grants, university fellowships, curriculum development, and museum partnerships with 15 organizations in four countries including Mass Audubon.
Locally, the Carroll School on Old Sudbury Road gave Mass Audubon 85 acres of land straddling the Lincoln/Wayland border (part of 103 acres from an anonymous donor) in 2020. That parcel is now part of the Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.
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