MassWildlife leads a restoration project on state land in Belchertown to provide habitat for rare plants and wildlife, game birds, and other wildlife. Recent visitors to MassWildlife’s Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Belchertown may have noticed increased forestry activities. These activities are part of a multi-year large-scale natural community restoration project designed to improve habitat for wildlife on the WMA and enhance recreation opportunities. At the same time, this project benefits Northampton’s Cooley Dickinson Hospital in the form of renewable locally-sourced energy to power their facility.

The natural communities of woodlands, barrens, and grasslands that are being created at Herman Covey WMA will provide excellent habitat for game birds like ruffed grouse and wild turkey, less common birds such as eastern towhee and prairie warbler, and the rarer eastern whip-poor-will which is listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. These species thrive in open and sunlit environments with sandy and loamy soils. Unfortunately, these habitats are declining due to development and an interruption of the natural processes like wild fires that once kept them open. In response, the plants and wildlife that depend on these same habitats to survive and thrive have also declined. 

After a thorough evaluation and planning process, MassWildlife developed a habitat management plan for the Herman Covey WMA to restore open habitats. The initial phase of this habitat restoration began in 2015 with invasive plant control, mowing, and replanting of native warm season grasses. To learn more, visit https://www.mass.gov/news/habitat-restoration-benefits-wildlife-and-local-hospital