Association to Preserve Cape Cod |
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The Brilliant Fall Color of SUMAC |
Sumac is a shrub or small tree with the ability to survive under difficult urban conditions, such as road edges, in abandoned gravel pits and abandoned fields. It can grow in poor acidic sandy or gravelly soils. Sumac is considered an early successional plant or pioneer species as it will readily establish in disturbed areas, but will not persist when shaded by larger trees. It colonizes from root suckers and by seed (after passing through an animal) and forms thickets that can be one single plant. If out in the open and with time, sumac naturally creates a wonderful drifting form that any landscape designer would covet. These sumac stands provide cover and nesting locations for birds. Sumac is fast growing, generally disease and pest resistant and drought-tolerant. It is dioecious, meaning plants are either male or female and only the female plants produce the seeds.
There are several different kinds of sumac. In the wild here on the Cape, you’ll find smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) and staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina / hirta). The red fuzzy cone-shaped clumps of seeds are an important winter food for wildlife such as bobwhite quail, grouse, wild turkey, numerous species of songbirds, small mammals and deer. Leading pollinator conservationists rate staghorn sumac as a plant of special value to bees. Not only does the early flowering sumac provide important pollen and nectar, it also provides nesting locations and materials for native bees. Observations indicate that staghorn sumac attracts important predatory insects that are beneficial in controlling pest insect populations. For the farmer, sumac is an important component of a field hedgerow.
Another sumac found in the wilds of the western part of the Massachusetts is the fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica). This sumac is a wonderful shrub that works well in the managed landscape and can be found for sale from specialty nurseries. There are fragrant flowers in the spring that appear before the plant leafs out, which provide nectar for early emerging butterflies. Like other sumacs, it displays fabulous fall hues of red and orange. A "low grow" cultivar remains no higher than three feet and can be a valued plant in your landscape design. Planting several together in groupings can make for an impressive fall showing.
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BirdCast provides these bird migration tools using US. Data from weather surveillance radar and years of data. |
BirdCast supports real action towards conservation with science. One major action item we call can take is to turn off any outdoor lighting. Lights out!
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Migration is not just for the birds... |
In North America, dragonfly migrations occur in late summer and early fall each year. Millions of insects move from Canada and the northern United States down to the Gulf Coast, Mexico, the West Indies, and beyond. North America may have as many as 18 migratory dragonfly species; some engage in annual seasonal migrations, while others are more sporadic migrants.
Some dragonflies are long-distance migrants. One migrant is the common green darner, which is a large dragonfly that measures about three inches long, with a matching wingspan. Researchers have discovered dragonflies of this species travel, on average, just over 370 miles in migration, with some individuals covering more than 1,500 miles. They are often the first to be seen in the spring, having migrated north from perhaps Florida, the Caribbean, or Mexico.
At least three generations make up the annual migration of common green darner dragonflies. The first generation emerges in the southern United States, Mexico and the Caribbean starting around February and flies north. There, those insects lay eggs and die, giving rise to second generation that migrates south until late October. Some in that second generation overwinter as nymphs and will fly south the following year. A third generation, hatched in the south, overwinters there before laying eggs that will start the entire process over again (SOURCE).
The earliest record of dragonfly migrations in North America may have been by Hagen in 1861, who mentioned migrations in Tramea lacerata (black saddlebags). Movements along the East Coast and upper Midwest of the United States were recorded and mapped by Shannon in 1916. Thereafter, however, only scattered anecdotal descriptions were added to the literature until the work of Corbet, Trottier, and their associates in the late 1960s and 1970s (SOURCE). Odonata are not of great direct economic importance, so we haven't spent much time investigating them!
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Graphic from The Xerces Society. Map showing how long it takes for common green darners to spread across North America. The Julian dates are simply a count of days starting on January 1. The southern regions are colonized by mid-February, but it can take until August or even September for dragonflies to appear in the north most parts. (Map by Colin Studds.)
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Pollinator Spotlight - Painted Lady Butterfly |
Photos by Gerald Beetham. |
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Like monarch butterflies, painted ladies complete their long migrations over the course of several generations. Traveling north, female butterflies lay eggs on plants in the daisy family, particularly thistles on which emerging caterpillars will eat. Once caterpillars have spun their chrysalises and emerge as adults, this new generation continues the journey, fanning out across North America to feed nectar on wildflowers, such as blazing star, iron weed, Joe-pye weed, milkweed, and asters.
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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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| 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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| Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum muticum
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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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