In 2022, the Salazar Center for North American Conservation launched the Peregrine Accelerator for Conservation Impact, a program that champions and invests in conservation solutions that contribute to national and global targets for biodiversity and climate, advance community wellbeing, and address environmental inequities and injustice.
In each cycle, the Peregrine Accelerator selects specific target landscapes, or “nests,” that pose significant opportunities to enhance ecological and community health at the micro- and macro-level. By investing in these landscapes, the Peregrine Accelerator seeks to directly support and connect organizations who are engaging in innovative conservation work that benefits nature and people, while also raising awareness about funding and capacity-building needs in the region.
For the 2025 cycle, the Peregrine Accelerator is focusing on conservation solutions in the North Atlantic Transboundary Landscape. Applications are now being accepted through February 21, 2025, from project teams who are working to advance biodiversity, climate resilience, and community wellbeing in North Atlantic Canada and the U.S.
The Landscape
The North Atlantic Transboundary Landscape is a unique and ecologically significant region spanning seven U.S. states (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and portions of New York) and four Canadian provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and portions of Quebec). This landscape also includes the immediate coastal areas that bind these regions.
Defined primarily by the New England-Acadian Forests ecoregion, as outlined by OneEarth—one of three subregions of the Northeastern American Mixed Forests bioregion—the boundaries of this landscape reflect not only ecological considerations but also Indigenous territories and socio-cultural connections. The result is a landscape that supports the goals of the Salazar Center’s Peregrine Accelerator program: fostering collaboration across a shared ecology and culture while bridging the gaps between nations.
This expansive area is shaped by major watersheds such as the St. Lawrence, Connecticut, Hudson, and Penobscot Rivers and boasts significant natural features like the Northern Appalachian, Adirondack, Green, and White Mountains. While it is home to over 30 million people, its rich biodiversity includes mixed forests and one of North America’s highest diversities of bird species. The land is also the traditional territory of over 50 Native American Tribes and First Nations, whose presence is critical to the region’s history and ongoing stewardship.
A History of Transformation
The North Atlantic Transboundary Landscape has undergone dramatic changes over the centuries. Colonial settlement led to widespread deforestation, agricultural expansion, and ecological disruption. By the mid-19th century, much of the land had been cleared for farming, though many of these farms were later abandoned, allowing forests to regrow. However, the scars of this transformation—including biodiversity loss and fragmented ecosystems—remain visible today.
The region’s communities are also changing. Declining demand for timber and paper products has reshaped rural economies, while climate change—marked by rising temperatures, warming coastal waters, and increased extreme precipitation events—continues to impact ecosystems and livelihoods. For instance, the region has experienced a 60% increase in days with extreme precipitation—the highest increase in the U.S.—leading to more frequent and severe flooding.
Why the North Atlantic?
The Peregrine Accelerator program’s focus on the North Atlantic Transboundary Landscape is the result of extensive conversations with stakeholders across the region. Since early 2024, the Salazar Center has conducted informal interviews with over three dozen individuals and organizations, representing funders, NGOs, Indigenous groups, government agencies, and researchers from both countries. These conversations revealed both the immense challenges and the untapped opportunities within this landscape.
The region’s conservation challenges include:
- High ecological fragmentation and limited protected areas (less than 10% of the land is formally conserved).
- A predominance of privately owned lands, complicating landscape-scale connectivity.
- Persistent policy and funding gaps, especially for Indigenous-led efforts and cross-border collaboration.
At the same time, there is significant potential for progress:
- Efforts like Resolution 40-3 (passed in 2016) demonstrate the possibility of meaningful multinational conservation.
- Networks and collaboratives are beginning to unite place-based groups across the landscape, creating momentum for broader initiatives.
- The region is primed to contribute to global conservation goals such as the 30×30 initiative, which aims to conserve 30% of the planet’s lands and waters by 2030.
Despite these opportunities, funding disparities remain a major barrier. For example, the four Canadian provinces in this region receive only 9.4% of national environmental funding, according to Environment Funders of Canada’s 2022 Environmental Grants report. Comparatively, transboundary conservation initiatives like Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) have achieved far greater scale and recognition.
Peregrine 2025
The Peregrine Accelerator program aims to address these challenges by supporting innovative, place-based conservation projects that benefit both people and nature. By fostering collaboration across borders, Indigenous territories, and ecological boundaries, the program seeks to amplify the impact of grassroots efforts and align them with broader regional and global goals.
Through this program, the Salazar Center will help bridge the gaps in capacity, funding, and coordination that currently hinder conservation in the North Atlantic Transboundary Landscape. Selected project teams will be well-positioned to develop solutions that address biodiversity loss, enhance ecological connectivity, and strengthen community resilience—creating a future where nature and people thrive together.
The Peregrine Accelerator will provide seed funding to a cohort of up to 10 project teams, in addition to tailored mentorship, training, and support over six months from June-November 2025. Project teams selected to participate in the accelerator cohort will receive:
- Up to $20,000 in seed funding to support team members’ participation and project start-up costs over the six-month cohort program
- Exposure to the Salazar Center’s network of funders and curated introductions to prospective funders
- An actionable implementation plan and evaluation strategy for the proposed conservation solution
- 1-1 mentorship from a strategically-recruited network of experts
- A community of other project teams in which participants can share knowledge, explore opportunities for partnership, and build a lasting community of practice that extends beyond the length of the program
- Opportunities to showcase learnings and share expertise with a broader network of practitioners across North America through articles and multimedia resources co-created with the Salazar Center
Eligibility and Application
Project teams must be based and currently working in the geography of the North Atlantic Transboundary Landscape and comprise organization(s) based in the U.S. and/or Canada. NGOs, municipalities, university centers and institutes, and Tribal and First Nations are encouraged to apply. Interested applicants can review eligibility criteria and access the application portal online.
The 2025 Peregrine Accelerator North Atlantic Transboundary Cohort will be announced at the Salazar Center’s 6th International Symposium on Conservation Impact in Vancouver, BC.
To learn more, visit peregrineconservationimpact.org.
Questions may be directed to Catie Boehmer ([email protected]).