Association to Preserve Cape Cod - this week... |
Fall Pollinators. Photo by Sue Machie. |
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| More of the Same Isn't a Solution by Andrew Gottlieb, Executive Director
Educate yourself about the Cape’s housing situation. Educate yourself even if you have a house and housing security is not a today concern for you. If you care about the Cape’s environment, the preservation of critical habitats, the fate of remaining unprotected open space and improving water quality, you need to understand what is happening in the Cape’s housing market. How Cape Cod addresses its housing needs will determine a lot about our environmental future.
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If the environmental community sits on the sidelines as this debate plays out and solutions are developed, if we do not have a seat at the table, we stand to lose a lot that we have long fought to preserve.
This is not the place to go through the litany of housing issues and their impact on the region’s economy. Suffice it to say that the cost of housing is beyond the reach of an increasing portion of our population and that something needs to be done to ensure that more than just the wealthy can live here. While it is not hard to agree there is a housing issue, there is a lot remaining to figure out about the best way to solve the problem.
What worries me is the very real possibility that there will be a consensus on trying to build our way out of the problem that will result in increased fragmentation of habitats and further degradation of water quality from increased nutrient loading. The region does not need any more septic system reliant, market rate single family housing built on greenspaces. We have seen what that has produced: a distorted and unaffordable housing market, poor water quality, sprawl, traffic, and fragmented habitats. A housing solution that looks at all like how the region has approached development the last 40 years would be insanity.
The Cape needs to simultaneously invest in improving water quality and preserving remaining critical habitats while encouraging the development of different housing types that expand housing choices that are built in previously disturbed areas and reliant on modern wastewater collection and treatment. Safeguards are needed to prevent new housing starts from being siphoned off into the seasonal rental market or becoming just more second home inventory. All of this is easier said than done, but the hard work to think this through is necessary.
We, those who care about the long-term environmental quality of the Cape, have to be part of this conversation from the start. To play a constructive role in the development of solutions that are both good for the people of the Cape and the environment, we need to learn more than we do about housing in order to be part of the solution. Not doing so means we may be facing a misdirected building boom that, no matter how well intentioned, makes things worse rather than better.
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"In 2019, a landmark report showed that America’s birds are in crisis—2.9 billion birds have been lost in the United States and Canada since 1970. The newly released U.S. State of the Birds 2022 report is the first comprehensive look at U.S. birds since this 2019 report. While it shows similar grim trends, there is a hint of a more hopeful future as well.
Using the latest bird monitoring and scientific data to assess the status and health of all U.S. birds, the National Park Service joined 32 leading science and conservation organizations and agencies to publish the U.S. State of the Birds 2022 report." - National Park Service |
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The positive news is that investments in wetland conservation have improved conditions for waterfowl populations. The bad news, more than half of U.S. bird species are declining in almost every other habitat, from forests to grasslands. Of the declining species, the fastest declining birds are grassland birds with a 34% loss since 1970. The report also identifies 70 “Tipping Point” species that have lost 50% of their population in the last 50 years and are on track to lose another half or more in the next 50 years— making them highly vulnerable to extinction.
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Boat Ramp Stormwater Meetings |
Join us on Zoom to review the initial stormwater system concept designs for each of the 20 proposed sites. Tuesday, November 1st (2-4 p.m.) meeting will include upper Cape sites located in Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee and Sandwich.
Thursday, November 3rd (2-4 p.m.) meeting will include mid Cape and lower Cape sites located in Barnstable, Brewster, Dennis, Harwich, Orleans and Yarmouth.
Based on your interest, you are welcome to join one or both meetings. REGISTER HERE. |
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Learn all about pollinators from the experts in this weekly series on Fridays at 10 a.m., courtesy of The Ohio University. Here's a recording of last Friday's webinar with Doug Tallamy. To register for future webinars (it's free), click here. |
A Few Headlines from the Past by Peter Gwillim Kreitler Manchester Guardian, 2010: We’re far gone into the ecological and disaster area, perhaps unrecoverable.
National Geographic, September 2013: With seas 4ft higher than today, 2/3rds of southeastern Florida is inundated. The keys have almost vanished, Miami is an island. The Chronicle, July 12, 2005: Sea life in peril ~ plankton vanishing. Three headlines from the archives to ponder. First see the date and the source and then realize little press has been given to these prescient warnings from over a decade ago. What alarm bells from 2022 are we not hearing? Is it denial, ignorance, or something else blocking out nature’s communication to each and every one of us? |
Stormwater Management Presentation in Falmouth |
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Jordan Mora, APCC restoration ecologist, will provide a presentation to the Falmouth Water Quality Management Committee (of which she is a member) on the importance of implementing green infrastructure stormwater management to improve the water quality of our coastal embayments. In particular, Jordan will share updates on the public boat ramp stormwater project, a collaborative project, led by APCC, involving numerous partners across 10 Cape Cod towns and state agencies. This meeting is open to the public.
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Falmouth Town Hall Selectmen’s Meeting Room 59 Town Hall Square, Falmouth 4 p.m. Monday, October 24th, 2022 |
Registration's Open! Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative's 5th Annual Net Zero Conference
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (virtual) Register here |
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APCC staff often gets asked to speak on various topics related to our advocacy: |
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. | |
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The Jewels of Cape Cod ~ Our Freshwater Ponds |
Wequaquet Lake. Photo by Judith O'Gorman.
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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 [email protected] |
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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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New England Aster - Symphyotrichum novae-angliae |
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Email [email protected], 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 past newsletters starting in July 2022 here.
Share this with your friends and they can sign up 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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Rick & Joan's rain barrel |
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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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