Surrounded by tall grass and wildflowers, coworkers and supporters of Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center (BNC) in Mattapan gathered under a white tent last Thursday to honor Julie Brandlen, the director of the nonprofit’s Boston region, on her retirement. 

Beyond a podium, the tent framed a view of the solar panels that keep the entire campus of BNC carbon neutral.

Brandlen came to the Center 21 years ago from the position of executive director of Rosie’s Place, a women’s shelter in Boston. During her tenure in Mattapan, the Center, sited on a patch of land on the grounds of the former Boston State Hospital, has been transformed into a flourishing 67-acre nature center and wildlife sanctuary that is considered an oasis in the midst of one of the most highly populated areas of the city.

In November, BNC began the installation of the solar array to make carbon neutral – meaning it does not emit more energy than it produces – a campus that also includes the George Robert White Environmental Conservation Center and the three brick cottages that house BNC’s nature preschool and education programs. Fittingly, they finished the project on Earth Day in April.

Despite this achievement, Brandlen doesn’t rate it as the highlight of her tie at BNC. That was, she said, the decision to price BNC’s summer camp and preschool programs on a sliding scale, an accessibility-driven move that was key to making BNC “an environment where everybody felt like they were a part of it, that they belong, that they would be welcomed, whoever they were.”

Summer camp was one of the threads that kept the community connected to BNC during the most challenging months of the pandemic. The Center is no stranger to the struggles the nonprofit sector faced, but as soon as they could safely reopen their doors, they did so in full swing.

Out of the approximately 100 summer camps across Boston, BNC’s camp was one of only 25 to open operations. For the campers and their families, this made all the difference. 

Brandlen told the story of one family whose son, like many, became “totally isolated, totally withdrawn” at the onset of the pandemic. However, when he attended BNC summer camp, everything changed. One day after the boy had started camp, his father said, “Our son is back.”

David O’Neill, the president of Mass Audubon, reminisced about the first time he went to BNC during the pandemic. “This place was alive at that moment in time,” he said in his remarks, “because she made it alive.”

As development intensifies to accommodate the city’s changes, green space is being seen as important as ever for people all over Boston. “I think Boston Nature Center has set a precedent about what is possible,” said Brandlen.

Throughout her career, she has witnessed and created opportunities for “working in community, in collaborations with the neighborhoods, with partners in the neighborhoods, with Boston Public Schools, and the city of Boston. I think that’s the way to go.”

O’Neill spoke to the uniqueness of BNC in not only its setting, but also for its contributions to the community. “I’ve worked all over the country,” he said. “There’s not many places like this. I can’t think of one.” 

As to Brandlen’s leadership, he said, “It’s never about anything other than the mission and the people that she serves and works with.”

This summer, BNC’s summer camps—combining outdoor exploration, hands-on activities, and science education—will be back and as strong as ever. Camps in Mattapan for children 5 to 15 years old and West Roxbury for those 5 to 13 years old are available for families to register by a lottery system. To explore camp options and register, visit massaudubon.org.