Association to Preserve Cape Cod |
Hurricane Lee says hello. Photo by Sue Machie |
A Tale of Two Pond Programs: Cyanobacteria Monitoring and Cape Cod Pond Monitoring
APCC has two programs that monitor freshwater ponds, and here's a brief explanation of each. |
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APCC's Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program is completing its sixth year! In this program, we partner and contract with towns and some private neighborhood groups to sample and analyze bi-weekly samples for cyanobacteria to monitor for potentially toxic blooms. Pond groups are key partners in the program by providing volunteers who gather water samples for APCC analysis. Our team of trained and paid summer and fall interns expand the program's capacity immensely.
Beginning in 2022 as a complement to APCC’s well-established monitoring program, the Barnstable County Department of Health and the Environment (BCDHE) Water Quality Lab expanded its cyanobacteria toxin testing capabilities to provide local officials with precise toxin measurements from ponds pre-identified by APCC as potentially containing cyanobacteria toxin levels of concern. APCC’s proactive cyanobacteria monitoring data is used to flag ponds for confirmatory toxin testing by the BCDHE Water Quality Lab to determine whether an advisory is warranted. The BCDHE Water Quality Lab then passes on its results to local officials and APCC. These results supplement data collected and communicated by APCC.
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FCW Volunteer, Sandy Giorgetti sampling for cyanobacteria. Photo by Chris Seufert. |
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The Cape Cod Pond Monitoring Program is part of the county-approved Freshwater Initiative. APCC was contracted by Barnstable County and the Cape Cod Commission to monitor pond water quality in 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.
The Cape Cod Commission and APCC selected 50 ponds using criteria that include size, depth, public access, other pond characteristics, data gaps, geographic considerations, and town priorities identified from Commission meetings with municipal staff.
Pond water quality monitoring is conducted by APCC staff at the deepest point in the pond with the assistance of a volunteer. Monitoring data collected includes measurement of depth, Secchi disk depth, water quality (i.e., temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and salinity) using a sonde lowered into the water, and collection of water samples for lab analyses of nutrients, chlorophyll, and alkalinity. Lab analyses are being done by the Center for Coastal Studies, a state-certified laboratory contracted by APCC. Individual volunteers sign up to assist with this program which involves getting out onto the water in a canoe with program staff.
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Thank you to all of the volunteers engaged in these two programs. We couldn’t do it without you! |
APCC Senior Water Quality Analyst, Sophia Feuerhake. Photo by APCC Volunteer, Diane Weisman. |
From the Xerces Society... |
A Lazy Gal’s Garden
My garden (which is really the entire yard) is not everyone’s taste, but I prefer a no-stress, low energy approach. No bark mulch, no edging, no crisp design. The only real order is the brick walkway made from reclaimed bricks and a couple of sections of low picket fence. As my grandmother would say, “it’s a bit wild ‘n wooly.” Each year I add some flowering plants and shrubs, giving preference to native species of the northeast. I might relocate some things and some plants might not come back, which I look at as an opportunity to replace with something different. It doesn’t stress me out, because after all, a landscape is not static—it’s made of living things. Some we see and some we do not, like the microbes and insects that help make things work. Some plants are long-lived and others are not—not necessarily a reflection on a gardener’s abilities.
My goal is to cover the ground with vegetation and have my desired selection of native plants knit together with blooms that extend over the growing season. This is accomplished by selecting plants to fill vertical layers. For the sunny south-facing side, I selected things like a ground-hugging carpet of wild strawberry, where upright clumping plants like false indigo rise above. And the wilder areas of the yard are complemented with the addition of native shrubs of different height and bloom-time like New Jersey tea, witch hazel and sweet pepperbush. Species are chosen by their growth habit with considerations about whether they creep, grow upright and how tall. I consider whether they are aggressive or demure, if they will reseed, and how well will they will coexist with other plants. With these considerations, the goal is to fill in the garden space such that the undesirables will be shaded out. This makes weeding less of a chore, and instead my time is spent “editing”. In my mind, this is how I’d like to nurture my yard. Not sure when bark mulch became the focus of our landscapes—I’d rather see plants.
By planting native species and allowing my little piece of Cape Cod to pretty much sustain itself, a lot of biodiversity can be provided in a small area which supports a diversity of pollinators and other wildlife. The wildlife value of a plant is important to me. It really sparks my desire if it’s a host plant for some cool moth or butterfly caterpillar, or a good pollinator plant, or food source for birds. And for the human interest, I’m also happy if it has a great color and texture. I allow some tall gangly plants to persist through the summer that must look like unruly weeds to passerbys, but they flower in late summer like big white fuzzy balloons tied to the ground. They are hyssop-leaved boneset and the pollinators adore it! And when a volunteer goldenrod arrived at the back edge of the garden, I gave it some space. For, like the boneset, when most everything else has passed, goldenrod is providing the brilliant yellow flowers of fall and bees and other insects are happy for the nectar and pollen as they prepare for winter.
No dead-heading occurs at the end of the summer. I leave them standing because the seed heads of the black-eyed Susan, coneflower and evening primrose are for the goldfinches. The birds seem to really relish the seeds and I enjoy observing their enjoyment. I’ll let most all of the garden die back on its own and lay until spring. Yes, you could call it a lazy gal’s garden. There’s no labor in leaving the plant stalks and leaves lay where they fall. The longer stalks that fall over I pick up and stack between two stakes and this makes a small garden feature. Some of these hollow stems will serve as nest sites for mason bees and other important insects that will provide a protein feast for some bird. And as a garden guru once said (and I’m paraphrasing), “leave the garden standing because after all you need something for the snow to fall upon.” This is what I prefer—seeing the interesting seed heads, each species producing its own unique configuration that holds the progeny of its next generation. Indeed, the remnants of the summer perennials make for an attractive winter scene.
It is not a stretch to say that most wildlife probably prefer the lazy gal garden approach, not only those that find sustenance in the garden, but those who are able to find refuge over the winter. And it is always exciting for me to see what emerges the following spring. This is an excerpt from an article by Kristin Andres that appeared in the Cape Cod Chronicle. |
Hyssop-leaved boneset, Eupatorium hyssopifolium |
An APCC publication - Guidelines for Cape-friendly Landscapes |
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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. |
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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? |
We are partnering with several retail shops to make this publication more widely available: Brewster Bookstore, Birdwatchers General Store, Crocker Nurseries, Wellfleet Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Cape Abilities Farm, Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, the Lavender Farm, and Sea Howl Bookstore.
If you are a retailer and would like to sell this publication at your store, contact Kristin at [email protected]. |
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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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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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The Jewels of Cape Cod ~ Our Freshwater Ponds |
Ryders Pond, Chatham. Photo by Danielle Jeanloz |
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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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| Northern Sea Oats, Chasmanthium latifolium |
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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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