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Blue Hills Trailside Museum Celebrates 50 Years on June 20

MILTON, Mass.—Come join Mass Audubon and the Commonwealth's Department of Conservation and Recreation on Saturday, June 20, from 10 am to 5 pm to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton, Massachusetts. This free all-day event will have activities for the family throughout the day, including free admission to the museum.

There will be a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony at 11am to unveil the new outdoor exhibits area, which includes a new all-persons accessible walkway, and to celebrate the renaming of the Chickatawbut Hill Education Center. Attending the dedication will be Senator Brian A. Joyce (D-Milton), DCR's Acting Director of Urban Parks Samantha Overton and DCR's Regional Director Peter Church, and Mass Audubon President Laura Johnson. The Museum and its Education Center are run through a partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and Mass Audubon.

"It has been an honor to work with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to manage the Blue Hills Trailside Museum over the years," notes Mass Audubon President Laura Johnson. "The museum and education center are beloved by many and we hope that families and schools will continue to enjoy the many environmental education programs that are available at Trailside. At this critical time of severe budget constraints, support from the public and legislators is needed so that the museum can continue to shine as the gateway to one of the oldest public recreation areas in the nation."

Earlier this year, the Blue Hills Education Center at Chickatawbut Hill was renamed to honor Mass Audubon's Norman Smith, who is director of the museum. The honor was the result of a bill filed by Senator Joyce and signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick. "Trailside's 50th anniversary milestone has been reached through the dedicated service of its director Norman Smith, who rightfully deserves to be honored through the official re-naming of the Chickatawbut Hill Education Center to the Norman Smith Environmental Education Center," says Senator Joyce. "The Trailside Museum is a jewel in the Blue Hills Reservation, and, after 50 years, continues to provide hands-on opportunities to the thousands of children who visit every year to learn about wildlife and nature."

Admission to the museum and all special events will be free throughout the day. The celebration will include many family-friendly activities, including animal games and stories, family pond exploration, and live animal demonstrations. Free cake, provided by Montilio's of Quincy, will be served at noon. Dale and the Duds will perform classic 1970s rock and roll tunes in the afternoon, Smokey the Bear will make an appearance promoting fire safety, and a local fire truck will be on site. All events will take place rain or shine.

"This museum is a wonderful place for children to get some of their first lessons in nature and the creatures that inhabit it," said DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. "We owe an enormous thanks to Norman Smith for all his work making this possible, and we look forward to the Trailside Museum's next fifty years."

The Blue Hills Trailside Museum is the interpretive center for the Commonwealth's Blue Hills 7,000-acre Reservation and is managed by Mass Audubon. The museum features interpretative exhibits and live animal demonstrations of the wildlife you may see while exploring the reservation's 125 miles of trails.

For more information, call 617-333-0690 or e-mail bluehills@massaudubon.org. Blue Hills Trailside Museum is located at 1904 Canton Avenue in Milton, Massachusetts.

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Mass Audubon works to protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and wildlife. Together with more than 100,000 members, we care for 34,000 acres of conservation land, provide educational programs for 200,000 children and adults annually, and advocate for sound environmental policies at local, state, and federal levels. Mass Audubon's mission and actions have expanded since our beginning in 1896 when our founders set out to stop the slaughter of birds for use on women's fashions. Today we are the largest conservation organization in New England. Our statewide network of 47 wildlife sanctuaries welcomes visitors of all ages and serves as the base for our conservation, education, and advocacy work. To support these important efforts, call 800-AUDUBON (283-8266) or visit www.massaudubon.org.