Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs Become Wetlands Sanctuary

In Plymouth, Massachusetts, Glorianna Davenport stands amid hundreds of acres of restored wetlands that were once her family's sprawling cranberry bogs, a transformation that began in 2010 and has become a model for converting struggling farms into thriving ecosystems.

Davenport, a retired filmmaker whose family has deep roots in the region's cranberry industry, sold the land to conservationists, turning it into the Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, the state's largest freshwater restoration project. What was once a landscape of straight water channels and vibrant red bogs now features winding streams, dense moss, tall trees and abundant wildlife. The change stems from economic pressures on cranberry farming across New England and into Wisconsin, where warmer temperatures and prolonged droughts disrupt the crop's need for cold winters and reliable water. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the number of retired cranberry farms in Massachusetts increased by about 40 between 2017 and 2022.

Restoration efforts at Tidmarsh involved planting over 20,000 native species, removing old dams and excavating new waterways. Workers sifted through a century's worth of...