Boston, Mass. (October 1, 2025)- Boston Associate Timothy Brown recently published an article in the Massachusetts Bar Association’s (MBA) Section Review titled, “From Vernal Pools To Policy: Salamanders, Biodiversity And The Call To Protect The Natural World,” which discusses the importance of protecting biodiversity. He further analyzes the scope and strength of existing legal frameworks including comprehensive laws and regulations designed to support conservation efforts, even as they face challenges from shifting administrations and evolving political ideologies.
Mr. Brown opens the article by detailing his recent awe-inspiring experience of witnessing the “big night,” the once-a-year migration of the yellow-spotted salamander during which the species travels great distances to find a spring vernal pool to procreate. He explains that he observed the phenomenon in Massachusetts’ Wompatuck State Park – a “refuge for wildlife” and one of a small number of “oases of paradise” that remain “among the desert of land now used for human-centric purposes.”
Mr. Brown goes on to state that “[o]ver the last centuries, the natural world has begun to vanish.” He cites research indicating that wildlife populations worldwide have declined at staggering rates, that 40% of animals and 34% of plants are at risk of extinction, and that 41% of ecosystems in the United States are at risk of collapse. Mr. Brown writes, however, that certain laws and regulations “have been remarkably effective at preserving intact ecosystems and preventing numerous extinctions.” He describes these laws, which include the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, as well as court opinions that have sought to protect our natural world. Mr. Brown also details recent legal setbacks concerning environmental protection initiatives.
He closes the article by encouraging readers to go outside and notice the natural beauty that “quietly persists” everywhere. He suggests that “[w]hen you return to your daily routines, remember this: the natural world offers peace, wonder and purpose — for free, every hour of every day. It asks only that we recognize its value and do our part to protect it. . . . After all, a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. Let us be those people.”
Mr. Brown is an associate in the Boston office of Lewis Brisbois and a member of the Products Liability, Toxic Tort & Environmental Litigation, OSHA Safety & Health, Entertainment, Media & Sports, and Collegiate & Professional Sports Law Practices. Mr. Brown is also a member of the Animal Law Practice Group of the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Animal Legal Defense Fund. When not practicing law, Mr. Brown is a passionate naturalist, animal lover, and admirer of the natural world. He enjoys learning about the history of the laws that shape our present legal landscape and doing his best to advocate for a brighter future.
Read the full MBA Section Review article here.