Congressman Kennedy Comes to Oak Knoll

Mass Audubon and several of our environmental partner groups met recently with Congressman Joe Kennedy, III at our Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary in Attleboro, where we discussed the role of activism in Washington in these challenging times.

Representing Mass Audubon at the meeting were president Gary Clayton, advocacy director Jack Clarke, honorary board member and volunteer Teri Henderson, and our Oak Knoll team. The group provided some background for the Congressman on our federal environmental priorities, like protecting our coasts from offshore oil and gas drilling.

Mass Audubon’s Jack Clarke with Congressman Kennedy

Congressman Kennedy reminded the group that while there is much activity on Capitol Hill these days that gives cause for alarm, it has also sparked a resurgence in public engagement in the political process. He is seeing more people getting involved through activism, especially locally. This kind of engagement is critical for a healthy democracy.

He also noted that it’s not enough to just speak out against what’s happening in Washington; we must actively work to create a viable alternative. We’ll be keeping up that proactive approach as we continue engaging our leaders on making the best environmental policy decisions they can, both at the federal and local levels.