Association to Preserve Cape Cod |
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| Look in the Mirror by Andrew Gottlieb, APCC Executive Director |
The APCC annual meeting this past Sunday celebrated our 55th year, highlighted the many achievements of the past year and looked ahead at the challenges that remain. We were honored to have the Honorable Lt. Governor of the Commonwealth Kim Driscoll as our keynote speaker. Lt. Governor Driscoll spoke of the importance of APCC in shaping the region’s response to the needs of the environment of Cape Cod. I was perhaps most struck, though, by the Lt. Governor’s comment that, and I am paraphrasing here, Massachusetts’ problems are ours to solve and that we can’t wait for someone to come to our rescue.
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I took the Lt. Governor’s underlying sentiment as a call to action: that Massachusetts has the human, intellectual and creative resources and capacity to chart our own future. The future of Cape Cod is ours to determine. The degree to which we do a sufficient job protecting our remaining open space, protect and restore our surface waters and wetland resources, and protect critical drinking water supplies is on us collectively and individually. Sure, we will need some help accessing state resources and changing some rules to account for the unique nature of our hydrogeology and our vulnerability to sea level change, but the primary job is ours to undertake.
What this all means is that the need for APCC has never been greater, nor has it ever been more important for each of us to be engaged in local politics. Many of the issues we care most about, from development policy, land use and protection, and water quality get decided in small meetings with little public input. We need to collectively make sure that there are voices speaking for the environment in every one of these meetings, at town meetings, and at the ballot box. Lt. Governor Driscoll had it right; what kind of future we leave our kids reflects what we are willing to do now.
There is more work to be done. Are you with us? |
Above image by Steve Koppel |
We Just Celebrated 55 Years! |
On Sunday, August 27, APCC held its annual meeting at the Dennis Inn. We were thrilled to have the Honorable Kim Driscoll, Lt. Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as our keynote speaker. Photos below: Gerald Beetham |
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Margo Fenn, former APCC president and board member, was awarded a place on APCC's Honor Roll for her extraordinary contribution to APCC's mission over the past many years. |
Nauset Garden Club and its Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod (PPCC) initiative was recognized with an APCC Special Recognition Award for contributing to raising awareness around pesticide-free landscapes and native plants that support pollinators and the Cape's ecology. Gary Bowden and Carol Alper represented the PPCC. |
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Esther Snyder Award given to Mike Lach, Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT), in recognition of many years of Mike's work on preserving land in Harwich and HCT's education & outreach program that contributes to safeguarding the Cape’s environment and quality of life.
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The Paul Tsongas Environmental Recognition Award went to DEP Title 5 and Watershed Team for their efforts in revising outdated septic regulations and moving the needle closer to cleaner water, especially here on Cape Cod. |
Chris Dennis & Nancy Horn were unable to attend to receive their APCC Special Recognition Award, given in honor of all they have accomplished in a short period of time with organizing Friends of Peter's Pond and championing awareness of what it means to be good pond stewards. |
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Above: APCC board of directors, those present at the annual meeting with the Honorable Kim Driscoll, Lt. Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. |
Above: APCC staff and the Honorable Kim Driscoll, Lt. Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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 ends at 5 p.m. on August 31st.
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.
Time is almost up. Please send your comments to DEP by August 31st. For a sample message, click here. |
Looking Over a Four-leaf Clover
As we have become more aware of the ecological harm caused by the synthetic fertilizers and pesticides used to maintain turf lawns, we often hear of adding clover to our lawns to help green the lawn and add a tad bit more biodiversity. In lawns before WWII, clover was a common lawn component and perfectly acceptable. But then the turf industry turned toward inexpensive liquid fertilizers and herbicides with a marketing goal of selling to homeowners to have their own lawn of golf-putting-green-lawn-of-perfection, just as seen in the first televised color broadcast of the PGS 1962 Tournament of Champions. But clover is having a comeback--mainly as a means of bringing nitrogen to the soil naturally, and greening up a lawn where typical turf grasses don’t really want to grow.
The added nitrogen from clover is due to its symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria that serves to capture atmospheric nitrogen and pull it into the soil. The clover releases carbohydrates from its roots that sustain the bacteria that converts nitrogen from the air into a form of organic nitrogen that is easily taken up by the clover. This slow release of nitrogen by the bacteria nourishes the surrounding plants, whereas fertilizer applications are essentially a sudden dump of nitrogen that can leach into our water systems and deplete the microorganisms and nutrients within the soil. The introduction of clover can help provide the desired effects of fertilization without the negative impacts.
Dutch white clover (Trifolium repens) is native to Europe and central Asia. Seed can be purchased at most retail nurseries. The best time to plant is in early spring or fall. Allowing the clover to flower will support beneficial bugs and generalist bees, like bumble bees.
Another type of clover touted for use in lawns is microclover. It is often used on golf courses and tennis courses. Microclover is a miniature white clover variety that has origins in Denmark and the Netherlands. It grows close to the ground (only about 4-6 inches), has much smaller leaves and fewer white flowers than typical clover. The appeal of microclover is that it can be used as a filler with grass, or on its own it offers a convenient low maintenance substitute to grass. However, there are some drawbacks.
While microclover may be an option to have a green lawn in other areas of the U.S., it is not particularly suitable for lawns on Cape Cod due to our poor sandy soils and dry summers. Microclover is a little fussy and needs a very narrow temperate climate to thrive. It cannot tolerate high heat or drought, and we all know that Cape summers are usually short on precipitation—just like summer vacationers like it! Also, microclover does not do well in shady or moist settings. It doesn’t do well under foot traffic and needs to be reseeded every 2-3 years. And it is an especially expensive option, so following the microclover trend may not be all it’s cracked up to be for your particular Cape Cod yard.
If you are looking to improve the ecological health of your landscape, where you need lawn, opt for a Cape Cod lawn. After all, you live on Cape Cod! To have a fabulous Cape Cod lawn, consider embracing any moss that may be already there, integrate violets (Viola spp), selfheal (Prunella vulgaris), blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium fuscatum), and creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra). Stop irrigating and fertilizing—the native plants will thrive in what’s there. For lawn areas you don’t walk on, consider other native ground covers such as Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica), wild ginger (Asarum canadense), wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana).
If you (or maybe your housemate) can’t quite make the jump to a Cape Cod lawn all at once, consider reducing the lawn area. And when you need to mow, mow as high as your mower will go. Top-dress (sprinkle) with compost and overseed with drought tolerant fescues (and maybe some Dutch clover to green it up instead of applying fertilizer). This will help you walk the line between a turf lawn and a rough Cape Cod lawn. Ideally, allow your lawn to go dormant in the summer (don’t irrigate). This will likely result in a summer of little or no mowing and more time for play or a reduced mowing bill. Now who wouldn’t like that?
This article by Kristin Andres, APCC associate director for education, appeared in a July 2023 edition of The Cape Cod Chronicle. |
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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++Copies have been distributed or mailed to all Cape libraries.++ |
**Thank you to The Brewster Book Store for carrying Guidelines for Cape-friendly Landscapes and for donating a little bit extra of the sales to APCC for every one sold! If you have a retail shop and would like to carry this publication, see our wholesale page here.
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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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| 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 |
What do you know about the American eel? |
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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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| Anise-scented Goldenrod, Solidago odoro |
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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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