Monthly Archives: February 2017

Why We Love Camp and You Will, Too

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Heather

Arcadia’s Nature Camp photo: Phil Doyle

Every year parents and campers tell us what they love most about Mass Audubon camps—being with friends, making new discoveries, seeing wildlife up close, and all of the outdoor adventures from hiking and canoeing to experimenting with science and creating nature-themed art.

Campers aren’t the only ones feeling the love. A few of our Camp Directors share what they love most about their role and what they hope campers take away from their summer experience.

Discovery and Confidence

Watching children discover something they have never seen before and gain confidence from trying new things. —Elizabeth Broughton, Wachusett Meadow, Princeton 

Tradition and Stewardship

Camp traditions such as popping jewelweed, touching a frog, running down “Rollercoaster Hill,” and sitting under the “Story Tree”; all of which leads to developing an environmental ethic. —Patti Steinman, Arcadia, Easthampton/Northampton

Growth and Friendship

Seeing everyone, both campers and staff alike, grow and make incredible friendships. —Meredith Dean, Wildwood, Rindge, NH

Magic and Learning

Knowing that every day at camp is different, with “magic” moments and challenging moments—all of which I, too, am able to learn and grow from. — Amy Quist, North River, Marshfield

Wonder and Observation

Teaching campers how to see the wonder in nature and be observant of their surroundings. —Jane Higgins, Habitat, Belmont 

Ability and Leadership

Coming across a camper guiding their parents on hikes to places they visited during the camp day. They get to be the counselor and their family members are their campers. — Scott Santino, Ipswich River, Topsfield  

A Sense of Belonging

Helping campers feel that they belong; that this was the place they could be themselves while learning about nature because it’s their thing. —Melissa Hansen, Broadmoor, Natick

Knowledge and Inspiration

Giving kids the knowledge that they can take home and share with their friends and family about the outdoor world and inspire more people to want to go outside. — Shane Elliott, Blue Hills Trailside Museum, Milton

Curiosity and Love

Knowing that our campers will take away a sense of place, curiosity to go deeper, and a love of the natural world! —Josey Kirkland, Felix Neck, Edgartown

 Awe and Encouragement

Sharing the sense of awe and thinking nature is so cool that we all feel every day! —Emily Wolfe, Wellfleet Bay, Wellfleet

Learn more about one of our award-winning 18 day camps and Wildwood, our overnight camp.

Action Alert: Trailside Needs Your Voice!

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Hillary T.

Norman Smith, director of Blue Hills Trailside Museum, with his granddaughter and a snowy owl.

Once again, Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton needs your help. Governor Baker recently cut the $500,000 committed to Trailside for its current fiscal year. On top of that, he did not propose any money for the museum to operate for the next year. 

We are not giving up  

We’re working to restore funding but we need your help to do it. Call your local state legislator and tell them what Trailside means to you. Better yet, write them a letter. We’ve been told that a handwritten letter is even more powerful than a phone call!

It can say something to the effect of: 

Dear _______, 

My name is ________ and I live in ________. I was very disappointed to hear that funding has been cut for the Blue Hills Trailside Museum. [Include personal story here, for example, My daughter went to camp for years and learned to appreciate nature because of their program. Or I remember visiting Trailside as a child, and now I look forward to bringing my children to watch the otter and see a snowy owl up close.] Please restore full funding for Trailside Museum so they can continue their important efforts. 

Sincerely, 

_______________

Once you’ve done that, we’d love it if you would share your personal connection, photograph, or drawing and tagging our Facebook and/or Twitter accounts using #fundtrailside. 

Why this matters

The museum, owned by the state of Massachusetts and managed by Mass Audubon, relies on the Commonwealth for a large portion of their operating budget. With proper funding, Trailside:

  • welcomes more than 100,000 visitors a year to the Blue Hills Reservation
  • provides environmental education to more than 200 schools
  • offers a popular summer day camp program
  • provides universally accessible nature trails, including sensory exhibits and self-guided audio tours so that everyone may enjoy the natural history exhibits
  • is the home of the Snowy Owl Project led by Norman Smith, which has become a national model for safely removing owls from airports and gaining a better understanding of these elusive birds

In response to Baker’s budget cuts, Mass Audubon has found it necessary to reduce services and personnel at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum. With your help, we hope to restore funding for the operation of Trailside. Thank you!