Man with a gray Mass Audubon shirt and blue glove holding a peregrine falcon. — Blue Hills Trailside Museum, Milton

Conservation Projects at Blue Hills Trailside Museum

The staff from Mass Audubon's Blue Hills Trailside Museum research and care for wildlife at the museum and beyond.

Caring for Non-Releasable Wildlife

Trailside's resident River Otter grooming

None of the animals at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum could survive without human help. The animals are either orphans raised by humans, permanently disabled by injury, were born in captivity, or impossible to return to their exact habitat (which is critical for reptiles). Find out more about the animals we care for

Snowy Owl Project

Norm Smith with Snowy Owl and his grandkids

Mass Audubon is working to protect Snowy Owls, the largest owl species in North America. Norman Smith, Mass Audubon Raptor Specialist, has been studying snowy owls and other raptors since 1981.

During that time, he has banded and removed over 800 snowy owls from Logan Airport for the safety of the owls and aircraft. In 2000, with a gift from a donor, satellite transmitters were placed on wintering owls for the first time to track their movements. Learn more about the project

Banding Peregrine Falcons

Every spring, Mass Audubon works with MassWildlife to band Peregrine Falcon chicks in the clock tower of the Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at the Custom House in downtown Boston. Learn more and watch the live feed

Custom House Peregrine Falcon Cam screenshot