One of New England's rarest habitats are grasslands. Prior to European colonization, natural grasslands occupied a relatively small portion of the landscape. But, with extensive clearing for pastures and hayfields in the mid-1800's, human-created grasslands became a dominant feature. Birds, like bobolinks and upland sandpipers, were able to take advantage of these newly created habitats and their populations expanded. But with the decline in agriculture, forests have replaced what were once open fields. In addition, development has fragmented and drastically reduced these areas. Because of these changes, some plant and animal species are facing local extinction. In particular, many of the birds that typically nest in grasslands are at risk. That's because they prefer large areas. For instance, grasshopper sparrows require at least 100 acres of contiguous grasslands and upland sandpipers need at least twice that amount. During the last 10 years their numbers have been dropping steadily throughout New England. Where they are doing best, believe it or not, is at our local military bases and airports, most of which are built on the flat, sandy outwash plains that were left behind by the last continental glacier and have just the type of nutrient poor soils that can support natural grasslands.

At Atkins Flats in Amherst, Massachusetts, gold and green shoulder high grasses wave in the summer sun. The landscape looks more like Montana than western Massachusetts. In order to keep the land open for the birds and butterflies that depend on these habitats, the Town of Amherst uses a combination of prescribed burns, limited amounts of grazing and mowing. To make sure the nesting birds have a good chance of raising their young, the mowing is delayed until after mid-July.

By restoring and managing these habitats and trying to protect the finest examples, grassland ecologists hope to ensure the future survival of the birds and other animals that depend on these special habitats.