Concern about continuing loss of natural habitats has sparked the need for critical, timely, and effective interventions.  In Massachusetts, there is a growing need for effective environmental planning, increased public awareness and education, influential public opinion, effective policies, and proper training of professionals for the next millennium.  Keeping these needs in mind, approximately 35 people concerned with conservation of biodiversity and natural resources met in May of 1998 to establish a Massachusetts Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology (MassSCB).

Mission Statement:
As a community of conservation researchers, educators, students and practitioners of New England, our goal is to: promote environmental planning, assure that communities are adequately informed, and focus on the conservation of species, habitats and vital ecosystem services by targeting specific issues from local to global scales for our concerted intervention.

Current Objectives:
(subject to re-evaluation and modification on an annual basis)
Operating as a network of galvanized social and natural scientists, the MassSCB shall:

• Provide support and expertise to government and non-government organizations, as well as legislators, dealing with conservation issues.
• Promote environmental planning by targeting specific issues, from local to global scales.
• Increase public awareness of critical issues in conservation by holding meetings with citizen groups, working with media, and interacting with legislators.
• Provide support and expertise to government and non-government organizations, as well as legislators, dealing with conservation issues.
• Encourage networking among social and natural scientists; researchers, policy makers, and public leaders; and academic, government and non-government organizations.
• Enhance skills of conservation biologists, particularly graduate students, in the principles and methods of natural resource conservation and managing, interdisciplinary work, and communication by holding workshops and conferences, and sponsoring invited speakers.
• Develop a resource directory of organizations, including foundations, that are involved in conservation work.
• Advance conservation education and promote the study of conservation biology through public lectures and forums, school visits, field trips,workshops, and media exposure.