Author Archives: Hillary T.

About Hillary T.

Where: Mass Audubon Headquarters, Lincoln Who: Massachusetts transplant by way of Florida and New York. Raising two young girls, who she hopes will be budding naturalists Favorite part of the job: Learning something new every day from some of the smartest and most enthusiastic groups of people

It’s Maple Sugaring Time

Learn how sap is turned into syrup and taste sweet treats during an upcoming maple sugaring program! Details below.

  • Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton offers Maple Sugar Days at Brookwood Farm in Canton on March 18 and 19. Learn how maple sugar was made through the ages and sample some delicious syrup.
  • Drumlin Farm in Lincoln gives visitors the opportunity to get an up-close view of a working maple syrup evaporator. The wildlife sanctuary offers related family programs. Plus, tuck into a hearty meal at the Sap-to-Syrup Farmer’s Breakfast on March 11 and 12.
  • Ipswich River in Topsfield presents sugaring-off tours in February and March and other programs that show how the sweet stuff makes it from tree to table. Don’t miss the annual Spring Flapjack Fling on March 18—eat a pancake breakfast, go on a sugaring tour, or do both!
  • Moose Hill in Sharon throws a Maple Sugaring Festival on March 19, 25, and 26. Take part in fun activities and go on a guided walk to discover the history and process of turning sap into syrup.
  • North River in Marshfield has a Maple Sugaring Celebration on March 4. Participate in outdoor stations that explore maple trees and tree tapping throughout history, tap a tree, and sample different grades of syrup and maple sugar with silver dollar pancakes.
  • Boston Nature Center in Mattapan hosts two Maple Sugaring events: one for all ages on March 4 and another one geared to adults on March 11. Tap, collect, and boil down sap during both programs. The adult program, there will also be a discussion on how climate change impacts maple sugaring.
  • Habitat in Belmont celebrates sugaring during its weekend Sugaring Celebration (March 11) and weekday Going to the Maple Tree (March 14 & 16).

Ready to make your own maple products? The Audubon Shop sells taps, how-to guides, and books with maple sugar history, science, and recipes.

Action Alert: Trailside Needs Your Voice!

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!