{"id":8314,"date":"2016-10-20T16:35:05","date_gmt":"2016-10-20T20:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=8314"},"modified":"2016-10-20T16:35:05","modified_gmt":"2016-10-20T20:35:05","slug":"blue-hills-trailside-museum-needs-your-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/blue-hills-trailside-museum-needs-your-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Hills Trailside Museum Needs Your Help"},"content":{"rendered":"

In order to keep the state budget balanced, Governor Baker has announced that he will utilize 9C cuts to reduce the funding of any executive branch agency or operation.\u00a0 This includes the Blue Hills Trailside Museum!<\/p>\n

We have already sent a letter to Governor Baker urging him to prioritize funding for Blue Hills Trailside Museum. But our words can only go so far.\u00a0We need you to <\/strong>call or email<\/strong><\/a> the governor asking him to continue funding Trailside.<\/strong> Please also consider sharing a personal story with him of a special memory from a visit to Trailside, or what Trailside means to you and your family.<\/p>\n

\"Norman

Trailside Museum’s Sanctuary Director Norman Smith releasing a snowy owl with his granddaughters<\/p><\/div>\n

We can do it!<\/h3>\n

Recently, funding for the Blue Hills Trailside Museum<\/strong><\/a> was at risk when Governor Baker vetoed the funds set aside for running the state-owned interpretive center for the Blue Hills Reservation.<\/p>\n

The museum, which features indoor and outdoor wildlife and natural history exhibits<\/strong><\/a>, welcomes more than\u00a0200,000 visitors a year to the Blue Hills Reservation; provides environmental education<\/strong><\/a> to more than\u00a0200 schools; and offers universally\u00a0accessible nature trails<\/strong><\/a>, including sensory exhibits and self-guided audio tours so that everyone may enjoy the natural history exhibits.<\/p>\n

And when we asked for you to contact your legislators demanding that they override the governor\u2019s veto, you came through in a big way. Many legislators reached out to us, commenting on how many calls and emails they received in support of Trailside.<\/p>\n

To everyone who called, emailed, and shared this message, we want to offer our sincere thanks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Trailside is not out of the woods yet however, which is why we are reaching out to our community of supporters once again.<\/p>\n

Why Not Start a Petition or Fundraising Campaign?<\/h3>\n

You may be wondering why we don\u2019t utilize online petitions of crowd-funding platforms. Online petitions can be an effective means of gathering support\u00a0for some issues. That being said,\u00a0Mass Audubon\u2019s\u00a0experience is\u00a0that\u00a0emailing\u00a0and calling\u00a0legislators\u00a0and the\u00a0Governor\u2019s\u00a0office\u00a0is a more personal, timely, and\u00a0direct method of requesting\u00a0action. We have specifically heard that even just a few phone calls can go a long way.<\/p>\n

Crowd-funding is a little trickier since Trailside\u2019s budget is complex. The government has been providing operating funds for Trailside since it first opened in 1959.\u00a0When Mass Audubon took over managing the museum for the state in 1974, we began raising additional money above and beyond the state funding to run public and school programs for adults, children, and families and to care for and research the animals that could not survive in the wild.<\/p>\n

For example, the Snowy Owl Project<\/strong><\/a> based at Blue Hills Trailside Museum has become a national example of how to humanely capture snowy owls at airports and relocate them to safer areas.<\/p>\n

In order for Trailside to operate at its fullest potential, we need both sources of funding on an annual basis. Learn more in our Trailside Funding FAQs<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

See Why Trailside is Unique<\/h3>\n

If you have never been to the Blue Hills Trailside Museum, we invite you to come visit our native live animal exhibits.<\/p>\n

Take a walk on our universally accessible trail, which includes a rope guide and educational materials in large-print, Braille, audio, and tactile formats.<\/p>\n

\"Universally

Universally Accessible Trail \u00a9 Kent Harnois<\/p><\/div>\n

And reach out to one of the many dedicated staff members or volunteers, who can tell you first-hand just how important this resource is for the nature of Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

In addition to contacting the governor to keep state funding in place, you can support Mass Audubon\u2019s work keeping Trailside the vibrant, fun, and engaging place to visit by making a donation today<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In order to keep the state budget balanced, Governor Baker has announced that he will utilize 9C cuts to reduce the funding of any executive branch agency or operation.\u00a0 This includes the Blue Hills Trailside Museum! We have already sent a letter to Governor Baker urging him to prioritize funding for Blue Hills Trailside Museum. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-get-involved"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-2a6","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5997,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/next-steps-for-securing-trailside-funding\/","url_meta":{"origin":8314,"position":0},"title":"Next Steps for Securing Trailside Funding","author":"Hillary T.","date":"August 17, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Last month, funding for the state-owned Blue Hills Trailside Museum was in jeopardy. Governor Baker vetoed the funds set aside for running the state-owned interpretive center for the Blue Hills Reservation. The museum, which features indoor and outdoor wildlife and natural history exhibits, welcomes more than\u00a0200,000 visitors a year to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Advocacy"","block_context":{"text":"Advocacy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/advocacy-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/08\/KentHarnois.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/08\/KentHarnois.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/08\/KentHarnois.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5893,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/action-alert-blue-hills-trailside-museum-needs-your-help\/","url_meta":{"origin":8314,"position":1},"title":"Action Alert: Blue Hills Trailside Museum Needs Your Help","author":"Hillary T.","date":"July 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Update 7\/30 part 2: Great news! The Senate has also voted to override the veto meaning funding has been restored. Thank you! Update 7\/30: Good\u00a0news! The House voted to override the veto of Trailside! Now on to the Senate... We need your help! Governor Baker recently eliminated funding for\u00a0Blue Hills\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Advocacy"","block_context":{"text":"Advocacy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/advocacy-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Blue Hills","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/07\/Blue-Hills-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9108,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/latest-news-re-trailsides-budget-woes\/","url_meta":{"origin":8314,"position":2},"title":"Latest News Re: Trailside’s Budget Woes","author":"Hillary T.","date":"May 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"As you may know, Blue Hills Trailside Museum, which is own by the state but managed by Mass Audubon, has been facing serious budget challenges. Governor Baker cut the $500,000 committed\u00a0to Trailside for its current fiscal year. On top of that, he did not propose any money for the museum\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/05\/TrailsideOtterCynthiaMcDonough-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/05\/TrailsideOtterCynthiaMcDonough-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/05\/TrailsideOtterCynthiaMcDonough-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8637,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/action-alert-trailside-needs-your-voice\/","url_meta":{"origin":8314,"position":3},"title":"Action Alert: Trailside Needs Your Voice!","author":"Hillary T.","date":"February 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Once again, Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton needs your help.\u00a0Governor Baker recently cut the $500,000 committed\u00a0to 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.\u00a0 We are not giving up\u00a0\u00a0 We're working to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/02\/Normanwgranddaughter-e1486998405415.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/02\/Normanwgranddaughter-e1486998405415.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/02\/Normanwgranddaughter-e1486998405415.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8604,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/action-alert-demand-1-for-the-environment\/","url_meta":{"origin":8314,"position":4},"title":"Action Alert: Demand 1% for the Environment","author":"Hillary T.","date":"January 31, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week, Governor Baker filed his budget proposal for the 2018 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018). 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Spending on the environment needs to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Advocacy"","block_context":{"text":"Advocacy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/advocacy-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/01\/IMG_5738_cropped-1024x669.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/01\/IMG_5738_cropped-1024x669.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/01\/IMG_5738_cropped-1024x669.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7814,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/help-trailside-museum-secure-funding\/","url_meta":{"origin":8314,"position":5},"title":"Help Trailside Museum Secure Funding","author":"Hillary T.","date":"June 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Help Mass Audubon\u2019s Blue Hills Trailside Museum secure the state funding it needs for FY2017! 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