Cape Cod Pond Watchers Bio-survey Program

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What is this new program?

The goal of the program is two-fold:

  • to engage members of the public to experience and learn more about their ponds and foster their stewardship in the use of ponds and living within their watersheds,
  • to collect biological data that will give a greater understanding of the ecology of the Cape’s ponds.

This program aims to engage pond groups and other interested persons to be citizen scientists and document their observations of life in and around the Cape’s freshwater ponds. A field observation form is provided along with supporting materials to assist you in basic identification of plants and animals. Documenting observations of wildlife and plant life will help to complete the full picture of our Cape ponds, individually and regionwide.

Why a new program?

For the last several years, APCC has endeavored to bring the Cape’s freshwater ponds into focus. Through advocacy and education around pond health, pond associations, neighborhood groups, and pond users have taken a keen interest, and we are continually asked what more they can do to help monitor their ponds.

Water quality testing requires equipment and a level of expertise, training, and lab costs. What is lacking from much of our overall knowledge of the Cape’s 890 ponds, is the biological and ecological information.

How does it work?

Pond Watchers will visit their favorite pond (ideally several times throughout the year in all seasons) and fill out the supplied field form on which to record observations. The pond watchers are asked to submit their forms to APCC. Concurrently, APCC is developing a database where the observation data will be uploaded. This data will provide us with more biological information than is currently available. This non-technical approach will engage people of all ages and levels of knowledge.

Program Steps

First, before you go out:

At the pond

  • Enter the date and time of your visit. This is important.
  • Enter the location of your observation location – nearest address, public access, etc.
  • If you are able, measure air and water temperatures and record.
  • Make observations of the plants and enter identification if you know; enter observations of animals – also document what you hear or observe evidence of. Evidence may be a den, scat (poop), nest, owl pellet, vocalization, etc. If you are uncertain about observation, mark as such.
  • Take photographs of the life you see and use phone apps, such as i-Naturalist, Seek, and Merlin to aid in identification of the life you find.

After your visit to the pond

  • Review your form for completeness and verify your identifications using any of the numerous resources found on the Cape Cod Pond Watcher webpage.
  • Scan and email to [email protected] OR mail your field forms to
    Cape Cod Pond Watchers Bio-survey Program
    Association to Preserve Cape Cod
    482 Main Street
    Dennis, MA 02638-1947

In the first three months of the program, we will be assessing the observation field form and will be receptive to your input as we design a digital template. Therefore, you’ll be helping us to develop and refine this program, as well as gathering valuable information about our Cape Cod ponds.

We look forward to receiving your observations of Cape Cod pond life!