Association to Preserve Cape Cod - this week... |
Overlook of Cape Cod Bay from Eddie Trail, Brewster. Photo by Sue Machie |
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Voice Your Support for the EPA’s Machine Gun Range Report
APCC welcomes the draft determination of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the multipurpose machine gun range proposed by the Massachusetts Army National Guard on the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve would create “a significant public health hazard” due to potential contamination of the region’s drinking water supply. If the draft determination is finalized, federal funding to construct the project will not be allowed.
A press release issued by the EPA includes a link to the draft determination and can be read here. The EPA has opened a 60-day public comment period that ends on June 26, and will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, May 24. A final decision will be issued by the EPA at the end of the comment period.
The public comment period gives us the opportunity to let the EPA know that concerned Cape Cod citizens and visitors support its draft determination—that the machine gun range poses too much of a risk to our drinking water supply and should be prohibited from being constructed.
APCC strongly encourages you to voice your support for the EPA’s findings by submitting written comments and attending the public hearing. In the near future, we will provide talking points and sample language that you can use when submitting your comments. Please check upcoming APCC e-newsletters for that information. Written comments may be submitted to: [email protected].
The May 24 public hearing will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be preceded by a public meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. It will take place at: Center for Active Living 70 Quaker Meetinghouse Road Sandwich, MA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- APCC Urges Gov. Healey to Support EPA’s Report on Machine Gun Range
Following the release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s draft determination on the proposed multipurpose machine gun range, APCC wrote to Gov. Maura Healey, urging her to support the EPA’s findings and to make a commitment to not use state funds for the range if federal funding is withdrawn. Read the letter.
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Please Join Us for an APCC Film Event on Thursday, May 11th at 7 p.m. The Erie Situation
at the Cape Cinema, Dennis A panel discussion with APCC Cyanobacteria Pond Monitoring Program staff and
Kristy Senatori, executive director of the Cape Cod Commission will follow the showing.
Tickets $15 through Cape Cinema Proceeds support APCC |
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Welcome two new seasonal staff members!
Ben Silverstone and Hailey Philbrick will be working this summer on education and outreach related to ecological landscapes. Ben will be managing our new Eco-landscape Audit Program with the assistance of Hailey and another summer intern, Aly Milando, who will be joining the team in a couple of weeks. (Stay tuned for more information on the Eco-landscape Audit Program next week.) |
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Ben Silverstone. Ben is a recent graduate of Wesleyan University with degrees in English and environmental studies. He’s spent time in college researching interactions between native insects and their native host plants in a field setting. He also spends a lot of his free time studying insects, and even stops to investigate insects when he doesn’t have free time. Ben has worked jobs on organic farms and conservation parks and everything in between, and spent his last year working for ACE Asheville, before traveling to New Zealand for some more hiking and farming! He plans on receiving his masters in ecological design from the Conway School in Northampton next year. Ben is a resident of Eastham, MA, and feels strongly about encouraging ecological fluency and smart stewardship of Cape Cod’s fragile and unique landscapes.
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Hailey Philbrick. Hailey is a rising sophomore at Renssslaer Polytechnic Institute studying environmental engineering. She's a Nauset graduate, loves ice skating and the outdoors! |
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VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR POND MONITORING PROGRAM
Want to contribute to the study of Cape Cod's freshwater ponds, learn more about our ponds, and have some fun? We are seeking volunteers to accompany APCC staff in a canoe and assist with the data collection.
Minimum time commitment is a full morning: A volunteer shift is 7:30 a.m. to ~ 12:30 p.m. Sampling days are Monday through Thursday.
Must have transportation. Two ponds will be monitored during the shift (likely ponds will be in your town, but could be in a neighboring town).
Dress for the field. Wear waterproof boots, (e.g.) muck boots or clamming boots for access in and out of the canoe, and be prepared for being outdoors the entire time, including rain gear as weather warrants. A pfd (personal flotation device) will be provided and must be worn as part of APCC's safety protocol. Physical ability. Volunteer must be comfortable being on the water and have the physical ability to get in and out of a canoe, to paddle to deepest point of pond, and to safely pivot in their seat to assist with the sampling and recording information on a field data sheet.
As part of the Cape Cod Commission's Freshwater Initiative, APCC was contracted to conduct pond monitoring of 50 ponds Cape-wide from 2023 through 2025. This three-year program involves monitoring each pond seven times per year from April through October. The goal is to help Cape Cod communities to better protect and manage our ponds by collecting water quality data to characterize pond conditions, to understand the effects of watershed development and other stressors, and to inform pond protection and management strategies.
Pond monitoring will be conducted by APCC staff at the deepest point in the pond. Staff will use a canoe, and with the help of volunteers will measure depth, Secchi disk depth, water quality parameters using a sonde, and collection of water samples for lab analyses of nutrients, chlorophyll, and alkalinity. Lab analyses will be done by the Center for Coastal Studies, a state-certified laboratory contracted by APCC. If you are interested in learning more, please SIGN UP HERE. |
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From the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative... |
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| By popular request...
APCC Caps are now available for purchase! $25 includes shipping & handling Click here for more information and to order. ~ This is one great way to show your support for APCC's work. |
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| Hanging in the Balance ~
A New APCC Report
Hanging in the Balance: An Urgent Call for Protecting Cape Cod’s Natural Resources is a report by APCC that provides a comprehensive analysis of key natural resources on Cape Cod. The report examines past and present impacts to natural resources, current threats, case studies, and recommended actions that promote protection, preservation and restoration of the region’s most important resource areas.
Click here for the report pdf. |
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It's Storytime!
Click on the photo below to reach the Hanging in the Balance story map. Don't know what a story map is? It's a format that allows images, both still shots, maps, and video to be linked together in one smooth transition accompanied by text. Once you click the photo, you will be at the story map. Then simply scroll down through the images and text that tell the story.
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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 890 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] |
Have a favorite pond? Want to connect with others who are active in protecting their ponds? Join the Cape Cod Ponds Network. For more information about past meetings of the Pond Network and to sign up (scroll down the page), click here.
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| The plants are growing...
Be thinking about where you have room for more native plants, and where lawn can be reduced and planting beds expanded. We expect to make the online sales live Tuesday, June 6th at 8 a.m.
We hope to have 26 different native perennial species. Click here for some garden examples and scroll down the page. |
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The Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod is a group of organizations promoting native plants and pollinator-friendly land care practices to create a boat load of safe oases for our native bees, butterflies and a whole host of other pollinators that are crucial to the health of our ecosystems. Join us! It's easy. There are no fees. You just need to pledge to ADD native plants, SUBTRACT a little lawn, AVOID yard chemicals, especially pesticides, and LEAVE the leaves. And, help us spread the word. If you wish, please get on the map to show your support of pollinators!
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A Cape Cod Native Plant-selector
~ to help you choose the perfect native plant for your garden location. |
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| Photo credit: BlueRidgeKitties https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ |
Appalachian Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum flexuosum |
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| Rain Barrels for Cape Cod
Order online from Upcycle Products $99 each
includes FedEx shipping to your door APCC receives a portion of the proceeds.
For more information, click here. |
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| APCC Enewsletters. Our weekly newsletters are now archived on our website and easily shared. You can find past newsletters and share with your friends to sign up for future enewsletters HERE.
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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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Expressions Gallery, 578 Main Street, Chatham
CLICK HERE |
Expressions Gallery donates 20 percent of its profits to APCC's work. |
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Thank you to our business sponsors |
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