Association to Preserve Cape Cod - this week... |
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| Stay Vigilant by Andrew Gottlieb, Executive Director
On first blush my thoughts this week don’t have a lot to do with the environment, but stick with me here. I’m part way through the Ken Burns documentary “The US and the Holocaust”. The news this morning included the election of an actual fascist party to lead the government of Italy. The January 6 Committee is gearing up for another public hearing on the efforts to prevent a peaceful transfer of power in 2021. |
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What all this has me thinking is how quickly large segments of the population are willing to fall in line and accept an authoritarian view of the world. It has probably always been like this but there is plenty of evidence that this tendency remains and that is as dangerous as it is frightening.
Authoritarianism relies on a lot of dark features, but one constant is controlling the narrative to maintain power. There isn’t room for popular opinion in authoritarian regimes nor is there much respect for the interest the governed have in equity and a sustainable environment. We all stand to lose a lot to the rise in authoritarianism. Retaining a voice in our environmental future is just one of many reasons why we must all take notice and remain engaged in civic life. An informed and engaged populace is the best defense against the loss of basic liberties and all the negatives that come along for that ride.
Fall Town Meetings are soon, read your town meeting warrant and show up and speak you mind. There are important elections everywhere in November, make your plan to vote now. Early voting has started in some places and mail in ballots are available. Make the effort, it matters that you vote. Just look around if you have any doubts. |
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Bird Migration is Underway! |
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This super cool graphic of predicted number of migrating birds crossing the night sky is available from BirdCast. These bird migration forecast maps show predicted nocturnal migration 3 hours after local sunset and are updated every 6 hours. Colorado State University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently produce these forecasts.
Visit the site! You can plug in any location and see historic and predicted information about the number of migrating birds, the expected species migrating over your county or state, and even live data feed reporting how many birds have passed over your location. Did you know? Migrating birds regularly fly up to 10,000 feet above ground, although seasonal timing and weather conditions dramatically impact their distributions.
Did you know? Every spring and fall, billions of birds migrate through the U.S., mostly under the cover of darkness. This mass movement of birds must contend with a dramatically increasing but still largely unrecognized threat: light pollution. - Turn off non-essential lights from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. during critical migration periods.
- Turn off or dim lobby and atrium lights.
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Turn off or dim interior home lighting, or draw blinds to prevent light escaping.
- Turn off decorative landscape lighting.
- Turn off lights before leaving the home or office.
- Be sure outside lights are aimed down and well shielded.
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Install motion sensors on outside lights to minimize use.
- Prevent daylight collisions with bird friendly products for windows
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PUBLIC NOTICE Air Force Seeks Volunteers to Serve on Advisory Board
Joint Base Cape Cod, Mass. — Officials of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) announced today that the Joint Base Cape Cod Cleanup Team (JBCCCT) is recruiting new members from Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, and Mashpee. Citizen team members are volunteers and don’t need to be an expert in engineering or science. Members receive updates and provide input on the Air Force and Army environmental cleanup programs at JBCC. The team is comprised of citizen volunteers and representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the AFCEC Installation Restoration Program (IRP), and the U.S. Army National Guard Impact Area Groundwater Study Program (IAGWSP). The IRP is responsible for Superfund groundwater and soil investigation primarily in the southern portion of JBCC. The majority of the IAGWSP work is in the northern 15,000 acres, under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act Administrative Orders and the substantive requirements of the Massachusetts Contingency Plan oil and hazardous materials regulations.
Meetings are normally held on a Wednesday, 2-4 times per year at 6 p.m. They typically last 2 hours and are open to the public. Meetings are currently conducted virtually but may be held in person on JBCC. “With increased citizen involvement more perspectives will be added to the cleanup process and will better help the military and the regulators make appropriate cleanup decisions,” said Rose Forbes, AFCEC Remediation Program Manager. Anyone interested in joining the team should submit an email to Douglas Karson, AFCEC Community Involvement Lead, at douglas.karson@us.af.mil. In the email submission briefly summarize your background and your desire to learn about and participate in the cleanup process at JBCC.
For questions about the JBCC Cleanup Team please contact: Douglas Karson, AFCEC, (508) 524-9206, douglas.karson@us.af.mil
Lori Boghdan, IAGWSP, (508) 509-2869, lori.p.boghdan2.nfg@army.mil. For information on the Air Force and Army cleanup programs please visit:
https://www.massnationalguard.org/JBCC/afcec.html http://jbcc-iagwsp.org/community/impact/presentations/ |
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Our Choices Matter by Peter Gwillim Kreitler
I was listening to environmental activist, educator, and friend Ed Begley Jr. talk about brushing his teeth. Come-on Ed, I came to hear you speak about important environmental issues like climate change, deforestation, and invasive species, and you are talking about an act we all do daily. I listened intently and he talked about personal awareness of how much water we use for a single washing (rinse the brush, turn off the water, apply the paste and then brush with the water off. He then talked about, the chemicals in the toothpaste, and perhaps considering Tom’s of Maine toothpaste.
I went home, and upon reflection realized that every action we take and choice we make has an environmental consequence. A simple daily routine when examined, like brushing our teeth, proves this point that might apply to everything we do, and every single choice we make. |
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Registration's Open! Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative's 5th Annual Net Zero Conference FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (virtual)
Register here
This free virtual event will highlight varied climate issues facing the Cape and Islands, with discussions on how YOU can make a difference in such urgent times. NZ-22 conference sessions offer insight, inspiration, resources, and case studies focused on impacts and opportunities for large-scale renewables; energy efficiency and decarbonization tools and incentives; and innovative planning frameworks and resources enabling towns to advance local climate planning initiatives, while acting regionally to meet the climate crisis.
Visit the website for continued updates on the conference agenda, presenters and more! |
Here's a video view of a lawn transformation to meadow. While it's a story from the Virginia area, it can happen almost anywhere. |
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Looking for a speaker? Check out APCC's Speakers Bureau. APCC staff speak on a variety of topics and are available by Zoom. If interested, please contact the staff person directly to make arrangements. |
APCC staff often gets asked to speak on various topics related to our advocacy. This coming Sunday, APCC's executive director will be speaking at: |
St. Mary's Episcopal Church Season of Creation Forum Upcoming forum features APCC executive director Andrew Gottlieb Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:00 a.m. St. Mary's Episcopal Church 3055 Main Street, Barnstable MA 02630 Sunday Forums at St. Mary's focuses on environmental issues confronting Cape Cod. All are welcome. |
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The Jewels of Cape Cod ~ Our Freshwater Ponds |
Pond Stories is a collection of writings and other media from Cape Codders and visitors who love the almost 1,000 local ponds that dot the Cape. We hope this collection of stories awakens your inner environmentalist to think deeper about our human impacts to these unique bodies of water. |
Send us your favorite pond photo, story, poem, video, artwork--we want to share with everyone why the Cape's ponds and lakes are so special! Email your pond connection to kandres@apcc.org |
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A Cape Cod Native Plant-finder ~ to help you choose the perfect native plant for your garden location. |
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| Fragrant Sumac - Rhus aromatica |
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Email kandres@apcc.org, 482 Main St, Dennis, MA 02638
and we'll send you a CapeCodNativePlants.org decal. |
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APCC Enewsletters. Our weekly newsletters will now be archived on our website and easily shared.
You can find the months of July and August here. |
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Water Use Restrictions Posted in Your Town?
How about a rain barrel (or two) to harvest rainwater for your garden! |
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APCC Rain Barrel Program $99 includes delivery
to your door via FedEx. Upcycle Products repurposes food barrels, otherwise destined for the landfill, to make these rain barrels. Choose your color - gray, black, blue, or terracotta. For more information and to order online,
CLICK HERE. For a how-to-use video, check this out from Brewster Conservation Trust! |
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Are you thinking of going solar? We hope so! In partnership with SUNPOWER BY E2 SOLAR in Dennis, APCC receives $500 for every solar installation when APCC is named as referral. |
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| Thank you to the homeowners who just contracted to install solar panels through E2 Solar. May the sun always shine for you! |
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| Every cup of coffee you drink could be supporting APCC's work and a local Cape Cod business.
But ONLY if it's Coastal Cape Blend from Cape Cod Coffee!
Order online. A portion of the proceeds for every bag of
Coastal Cape Blend sold is donated to APCC. It's important to know that Cape Cod Coffee sources beans are
Fair Trade & Rainforest Alliance certified, and grown without the use of pesticides. |
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Expressions Gallery, 578 Main Street, Chatham
CLICK HERE |
Ocean to Office. APCC has partnered with EXPRESSIONS, a fine art photography gallery located in Chatham center, to provide Cape businesses the opportunity to beautify their offices with coastal photography while directly supporting protection of our cherished environment. This special offering gives back to APCC. CLICK HERE to learn more. |
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Thank you to our business sponsors |
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