WORCESTER—A new round of regional grant funding is aiming to protect open space, support animal care, and expand environmental education efforts across North Central Massachusetts, with impacts likely to ripple into Worcester County communities.
The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts has awarded nearly $85,000 through its Environmental Preservation & Animal Welfare program, supporting nine organizations working on projects ranging from land conservation to mobile veterinary clinics, according to a release.
The funding is a push to address both environmental sustainability and access to animal care—two issues that often intersect in Central Massachusetts, where rising costs and development pressures have strained both natural resources and household budgets.
“These grants reflect the deep connection our communities have to the land and to the animals that share it with us,” said Stephen J. Adams, president of the foundation, in the release. “From protecting cherished open spaces to ensuring low-income families can afford vaccines for their pets, every one of these projects makes North Central Massachusetts a better place to live.”
Among the largest awards, Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust received $20,000 to help preserve Camp Selah in Athol, while North County Land Trust was awarded $10,000 to protect October Farm, a property that includes farmland, forest and wetlands with views of Mount Wachusett.
Animal welfare efforts also figure prominently. Second Chance Animal Services received more than $14,000 to expand its mobile vaccine clinics — a program that brings low-cost and no-cost veterinary care directly into communities, including parts of Worcester County.
Other grants will fund projects such as habitat restoration, watershed education, fencing improvements at an animal control facility, and a native plant nursery aimed at strengthening local ecosystems.
The foundation said the program is designed to balance environmental protection with practical, community-level needs — from preserving public access to open space to helping families care for pets.
While the grants are spread across North Central Massachusetts, several of the initiatives — particularly those tied to mobile veterinary services and conservation access — serve residents throughout the broader Worcester region.
The funding is part of the foundation’s ongoing effort to support projects that address both immediate community needs and long-term environmental sustainability, according to the release.
