Association to Preserve Cape Cod |
"Pollinator Safe Haven" - APCC's Living Landscape in August |
It's late summer, and with all of the rain we've been lucky to have this year, APCC's living landscape is flush with the purple of wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata), a few different kinds of goldenrods (Solidago spp), and the fragrant sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia).
We don't irrigate. We don't fertilize. We don't apply any kind of pesticides. We don't add inputs from off the property. We weed when we see an unwanted intruder. We stick to perennials. We leave areas wild for insects that need undisturbed real estate, such as the mining bee, sweat bee, and the great golden digger wasp that need a soft safe place to make a small tunnel to lay her egg, where the larva can safely develop. Our landscape is meant to support vertebrates and invertebrates alike, and to give us some eye-appeal. In turn, we have fun discovering the life that is finding a safe haven in our landscape! |
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Clearing Up A Couple of Misconceptions |
"Save the Bees" means saving honeybees—Nope! Honeybees are not native. They were brought here from Europe. They are a domesticated agricultural livestock, similar to chickens. The devastation to the industry so many years ago did get our attention, and helped us understand our agricultural practices were harmful to all pollinators. But no one would think that having a flock of chickens would help protect piping plovers or eastern meadowlark or blackpoll warbler. Getting into the honeybee hobby does not further pollinator protection. In fact, it can do just the opposite! Read this excellent article in the NY Times. But our wild bees DO need saving: A quarter of our wild bee species are in decline (that's based on what we know, and we don't know a whole lot!).
Using "natural, organic or plant-derived" pesticides is safe—Nope! Well, safe for whom or what? If it's meant to kill biting insects or kill plants, the product does so indiscriminately and can harm any invertebrate that has contact. For instance, cedar oil smothers the organism (no matter what it is)—just read this company's ad about its effectiveness. Pyrethrins (plant-based pesticides) affect the insect's nervous system and kill on contact, either when wet or dry, and are highly toxic to bees and to fish. The yard sprays may even miss your intended target all together! Local experts say it's really a waste of money, and there are better alternatives that are more effective and safer for the many pollinators in your neighborhood. Read this excellent article in the Provincetown Independent.
- Use insect repellent and use treatments on your pets, not the yard.
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Got mosquitos? Call the Cape Cod Mosquito Control Project! (NOT to be confused with a similar-sounding private business franchise name.) The Cape Cod Mosquito Control Project is a county-funded program whose job it is to treat mosquitos at the source using certain bacteria that specialize on mosquito larvae.
- Do the daily tick check! Ticks are ubiquitous. Spraying your yard for them only gives a false sense of security.
Then there are systemic insecticides (those taken up by the plant), that are often sold on the retail shelf as being "safe" and "green." Often a neonicotinoid, they are commonly applied by the tree industry and nursery growers. These chemicals are designed to kill the leaf chewing insects, such as caterpillars (and we all know that our birds depend upon caterpillars for food!). Systemic pesticides harm any insect that eats the plant's tissue. These pesticides also taint the nectar that many insects feed upon and likewise the pollen that bees take to their young for sustenance during their development.
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The citizens of Orleans, MA are getting the word out in their effort to pass a anti-pesticide bylaw in their town. |
Eco-landscape Team bids us farewell!
Last Wednesday at the Brewster Ladies Library, the team gave a presentation about their experience and the top issues the homeowners they visited as part of the Eco-landscape Audit Program. You can view their presentation here. They did an AWESOME job in the first season of this program and represented APCC exceptionally well. We wish Ben, Hailey and Aly all the best in their educational endeavors in the coming year!
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Photo credit: Brewster Ladies Library |
Cyanobacteria Program
With the summer crew going back to school, we are thankful for incoming fall staff—welcome Will and Anthony! |
Will Felix is a graduate of the University of Miami, Florida where he studied ecosystem science and policy & marine affairs. Originally from New York, he has been a resident of Brewster for the last three years. Will is interested in conservation and advocacy. He hopes to learn more about Cape Cod’s wonderful pond ecology during his time at APCC. |
Hi, my name is Anthony Karson, and I am from Falmouth MA. I recently graduated from Seton Hall University majoring in biology with a minor in environmental studies. I have always been interested in the sustainability of Cape Cod and acknowledge how delicate our waters are. In this internship I am looking forward to doing research and testing the waters of the Cape to help create more sustainable freshwater ecosystems. |
HELP DEFEND CAPE COD BAY
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has issued a preliminary denial of Holtec's proposed permit to discharge 1.1 million gallons of radioactive wastewater into Cape Cod Bay. The draft denial cannot be finalized until after a 30-day public comment period, which was recently extended to August 31st, at 5 p.m. DEP will hold a public hearing Aug. 24 hearing at 6 p.m. in the Great Hall at Plymouth Town Hall.
To estimate the number of people who would like to speak, DEP is asking attendees to fill out a voluntary pre-registration form online.
The public can submit comments electronically to: [email protected] or written comments can be submitted to: MassDEP Surface Water Discharge Permitting Program, 100 Cambridge St., Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114. The draft decision has it right; the Ocean Sanctuaries Act is clear: DEP’s action reflects the law and there is no other basis to do anything other than to finalize this decision.
Send your comments to DEP by August 31st. For a sample message, click here. |
The Guidelines gives homeowners steps they can take in the design and maintenance of their properties that will support pollinators and birds, manage stormwater, conserve water, and protect the Cape's water quality. This 40-page booklet is beautifully illustrated by Marcy Ford with content that is easily digestible and supported by numerous resources for additional learning. We've enjoyed creating it and hope it will help you with ideas to help you steward your piece of Cape Cod and maybe foster an environmental ethic in the decisions we all make in our own managed landscapes. Get your copy here—and maybe one for a friend?
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**Thank you to The Brewster Book Store for carrying Guidelines for Cape-friendly Landscapes and for donating a little bit extra for every book sold!** |
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| APCC is Hiring: A Year-round Position and Seasonal Paid Internship Available |
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Cyanobacteria Science Coordinator: APCC seeks an experienced project manager to manage the sample analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results for APCC’s Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program. The cyanobacteria science coordinator is responsible for ensuring the overall scientific quality of the program through oversight of sample collection, analyses, interpretation, and reporting of monitoring results, and communicating results and other information to municipal officials, agencies, organizations, and the public in an accurate clear manner. The position is fulltime, year-round, salaried with benefits. For the full description, click here. To apply, email a cover letter and resume to Dr. Julie Hambrook at: [email protected]
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Internship for State of the Waters: Cape Cod: APCC seeks a college- or graduate-level intern to assist with our “State of the Waters: Cape Cod” project. The internship provides a paid salary but does not provide benefits. Work involves scoring and grading water quality data for coastal embayments, ponds, and drinking water. Applicants must be proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel for data entry, calculations, and data analysis and possess a high degree of attention to detail and accuracy. The internship will run from August 1 through October or potentially into November 2023. For more information, visit APCC’s website: https://apcc.org/employment/. To apply, email a cover letter and resume to Dr. Jo Ann Muramoto at: [email protected].
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| Arriving in your post office mailbox any day now—the APCC 2022 Annual Impact Report!
Inside, a message from the executive director and a review of APCC accomplishments in 2022.
If you can't wait, or if we don't have your mailing address, you can read online here. |
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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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The Jewels of Cape Cod ~ Our Freshwater Ponds |
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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, CLICK HERE.
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APCC has QR code stickers that link to our cyanobacteria webpage. If you'd like one or more to post on or around your pond, request by email to [email protected] |
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| By popular request...
APCC Caps are 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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A Cape Cod Native Plant-selector ~ to help you choose the perfect native plant for your garden location. |
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| Beaked Hazelnut, Corylus cornuta |
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Sally Baer's rain barrel! |
| 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 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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