PATRIOTS HONOR MASS AUDUBON, LONGTIME VOLUNTEER

     Pats Players Pitch In for Community Service Project at Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary

LINCOLN, MA—Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Norfolk served as a perfect autumn backdrop Tuesday, October 16 for the New England Patriots’ Celebrate Volunteerism initiative, which honored Mass Audubon and longtime member and volunteer Ruth Connaughton.

Mass Audubon’s statewide commitment to member volunteerism earned it selection in the Green/Environmental category of the Patriots’ community involvement program. Connaughton, a former teacher and a 15-year volunteer at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet, was recognized as “Patriots Difference Maker of the Week.” She was presented with a medal and an autographed football.

Those on hand for the event included volunteers from Franklin-based HMEA, an organization committed to working with people with developmental disabilities, and a trio of Pats players, Danny Aiken, Ryan Mallett, and Zoltan Mesko.

All were soon were  “digging in” to help spread mulch for Stony Brook’s new Nature Play Area—at the direction of 16-year-old Daniel White of Wrentham, who is constructing the play area as his volunteer service project to become an Eagle Scout.

Pats' punter Mesko praised Mass Audubon for its community engagement, its position as a New England conservation leader, and for being “pro-active in thinking about the future” of sustainable practices and the environment. "Mass Audubon is leading the way," he said.