MAINE PUBLIC • June 22, 2021
A comprehensive new report from the Native Plant Trust and the Nature Conservancy is calling for conservation of an additional 2.3 million acres of land in specific habitats and locations across New England to protect native plants and the species that depend on them. Mark Anderson, the Conservancy's director of conservation science, says time is running out to address crashing insect populations and pollinators such as butterflies which have declined nearly 40%. "But the science is clear that that is largely due to habitat loss and habitat degradation. And there are examples where restored habitats or conserved habitats have been able to reverse that trend," he says.