to engage the citizens of Massachusetts and New England in hands-on efforts to monitor, enhance, and protect rare or threatened populations of wild animal and plant species. Specifically, the activities and objectives of GWC are to: A) Design and support biodiversity conservation initiatives that produce measurable and significant conservation benefits for populations of locally rare and declining species. B) To engage the children and adults of Massachusetts and the northeastern United States in hands-on wildlife conservation work. C) To empower the participants in GWC conservation projects by demonstrating that they can contribute positively to biodiversity conservation. D) To educate participants about the natural history, ecology, and conservation needs of local wild animal and plant species in need of their assistance.