Saltmarsh Sparrows, small birds found only in salt marshes along the Atlantic Coast are in trouble. Their population is declining rapidly due to climate change, with sea level rise flooding their habitat and nests.   

In the last 25 years the global population of Saltmarsh Sparrows has declined by more than 75%, raising concerns the species is headed towards extinction unless something can be done to save their marsh habitat. Without improvements to marsh conditions, the sparrows struggle to nest and maintain their population.  

Massachusetts is home to an estimated 10% of the world’s population of Saltmarsh Sparrows. They are protected under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act and listed as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The status under the federal Endangered Species Act is pending as of May 2025. 

The Trustees, with its partners, initiated an ambitious restoration initiative to restore salt marsh. These efforts are focused predominantly in the Great Marsh, the largest contiguous salt marsh in New England, and a primary nesting habitat for Saltmarsh Sparrow.

Using nature-based techniques including ditch remediation and runneling, The Trustees are restoring beneficial hydrology to the more than 1,500 acres of salt marsh experiencing subsidence and loss due to past agricultural use and mosquito ditching.  

Our partners, including the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and MassWildlife are restoring an additional 6,000 acres, also within the Great Marsh. This work is a race against time, as much of the 47,000 acres of salt marsh in Massachusetts is projected to be overwhelmed by rising sea level in the next few decades. Initial results of salt marsh restoration indicate the marsh is responding positively, suggesting there is a future for the Saltmarsh Sparrows in Massachusetts.