UMass Amherst receives state grant to expand bird-friendly building upgrades
New England Council member University of Massachusetts Amherst has been awarded a $173,404 biodiversity grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to expand its efforts to prevent bird-building collisions on campus. The funding will complete the installation of bird-friendly window coverings at six high-risk campus buildings and support broader monitoring and environmental education efforts across the campus and surrounding communities.
The grant is part of a $1.1 million statewide package announced by the Healey administration supporting 12 biodiversity projects throughout Massachusetts. The broader initiative is designed to restore habitats, strengthen climate resilience, pilot biodiversity-friendly building practices, create new pollinator gardens and urban forests, and expand environmental education programming.
State officials framed the investment as essential to the Commonwealth’s long-term climate preparedness. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper noted that supporting biodiversity delivers tangible public health and safety benefits, describing nature as the state’s “first line of defense” against worsening climate impacts.
The New England Council congratulates UMass Amherst on receiving this grant and commends the university’s leadership in advancing biodiversity and sustainability on campus and across the region.
Read more on the Boston Business Journal.