Association to Preserve Cape Cod |
Coming in 2024 - Koppel Center to Preserve Cape Cod! |
APCC is thrilled to announce that construction will soon commence on the Koppel Center to Preserve Cape Cod. The Koppel Center will support APCC’s growing programs and will provide a base from which APCC can continue its efforts to increase protection of the Cape’s fragile environment.
The Koppel Center to Preserve Cape Cod will be housed in the soon-to-be-rebuilt historic barn at the APCC compound and will provide: - Significant new workspace to accommodate our growing professional staff, including scientists, resource restoration specialists, and advocates.
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A conference center to expand collaborations with individuals and organizations working to improve Cape Cod’s environment.
- A community focal point to showcase APCC’s rich history, mission, and impact on Cape Cod.
- Tailored space for executing our pond health and water quality monitoring programs.
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Space to exponentially expand our education program, promote eco-friendly landscaping, the use of native plants, and environmental stewardship.
- Space to expand our seasonal intern program — the engine of our pond monitoring and eco-landscaping programs.
The Center will be built to reflect and honor the historic character of the building while being environmentally friendly and reflective of who we are and value as an organization. A small group of generous and visionary members have stepped forward to make this new facility possible.
Brewster residents Steven and Paula Koppel and their family have shared a love of Cape Cod for nearly 40 years. Their anchor gift advanced this project and is reflective of their commitment to the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. Steven has been a member of the APCC board of directors since 2020, and currently serves as the board president.
Steven and Paula had this to say about the Center moving forward: “We are excited about the ways this new facility will amplify APCC’s impact across Cape Cod and create meaningful environmental change today and for generations to come. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the organization’s vital mission." |
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| Keep Trying by Andrew Gottlieb, Executive Director
An interesting piece in the New York Times (sorry, paywall) explored the feelings of scientists who have dedicated their careers to researching certain species (think polar bears and coral as examples) being decimated by the impact of climate change. Their reactions, from resignation and depression to ongoing optimism, resonated with me profoundly because the experience locally mirrors what the article described globally. |
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And it’s not just climate change that is impacting local resources of concern. Our choices to improperly treat our wastewater and fertilize our lawns have devastated our estuarine habitat. Ship strikes and line entanglement threaten North Atlantic right whales with extinction. Industrial scale fishing boats are wiping out the herring that support much of our marine food chain and are putting numerous species of fish, and fishermen, on the brink of collapse.
These local examples, and the loss of elemental aspects of what life on Cape Cod means, come at a high cost ecologically, economically, and emotionally. The closure of my favorite pond to swimming for a month this summer due to a protracted cyano bloom took something away from me that made this past summer a lot less than what I wanted it to be. Long gone are the days when scalloping and catching blue crabs were part of my regular enjoyment of Waquoit Bay. These are deeply personal losses to me, and while yours are likely different, we probably share the common feelings of loss over some environmental resource not being what it once was to us.
All that said, we here on Cape Cod remain well positioned to, as individuals, make choices that don’t just lessen our impacts on the environment, but instead can make things better. We can all choose not to use chemicals to treat our yards and plants. We can choose to make our voices heard in town hall and advocate for more open space protection and construction of modern wastewater treatment systems. We can choose to use our voting power to elect environmentally conscious people to office. We can choose to shut off the TV and attend town meetings and vote for the environment.
I totally understand the despair many of us feel about the condition of the world. Maybe we can’t save the polar bears by ourselves, but by acting locally we can save that nearby forest, that nearby estuary and that nearby pond. The knowledge that we have the power to effectuate changes should inspire us all to stay involved. Not bothering to try, or waiting for someone else to make the effort first, would be the real failure. |
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APCC is monitoring the Great Marsh in Barnstable. APCC is completing this work under contract to Mass Audubon with funding provided by the MA Department of Fish and Game In-lieu Fee Program. |
Make your voice heard and help protect the
Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve from contamination. |
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| Contact Congress and say no to more funds for the proposed multi-purpose machine gun range!
APCC recently told you about the Massachusetts National Guard’s efforts to circumvent the regulatory checks in place to protect the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve by obtaining construction bids from contractors to build the multipurpose machine gun range. The story was picked up by WCAI and what speaks most loudly is the Guard’s refusal to comment about the revelations made by APCC. If our information was factually in error the Guard would have no doubt said so, but they didn’t. Draw your own conclusions.
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Anyone concerned with the preservation of the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve is encouraged, if you have not already done so, to contact Congressman Keating’s office, Senator Markey’s office and Senator Warren’s office to let them know in your own words that you are opposed to Congress providing additional funds for this project.
Specifically, please ask them to remain vigilant in preventing any additional public funds to be set aside for a project that has been identified by the EPA as a potential significant risk to the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve. |
After a successful 2023, APCC has set its freshwater team for 2024 as follows... |
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| Sophia Feuerhake
Freshwater Science Coordinator. Sophia will now serve as our scientific expert for the Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program and the Cape Cod Pond Monitoring Program. She will assist the project manager to ensure scientific credibility, transparency, and usefulness of data collected by both programs. |
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| Lynn Francis
Pond and Cyanobacteria Operations Manager. Lynn assists the freshwater pond programs by coordinating operations of the sample collections, laboratory processing, and data reports. Lynn is the point of contact for administrative agreements with municipalities and pond groups who participate in the cyanobacteria monitoring program. |
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| John-Tyler Percy
Senior Pond Monitoring Technician. “JT” has just joined the full-time staff after having been a seasonal APCC technician. It is now his responsibility to oversee the in-field water quality data collection for the Cape Cod regional pond monitoring program of 50 ponds across Cape Cod and is responsible to curate data reports. He also assists APCC's restoration team with vegetation analyses and assesses results of restoration projects as a drone pilot.
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An APCC publication - Guidelines for Cape-friendly Landscapes |
Above: Marcy Ford, illustrator of Guidelines for Cape-friendly Landscapes. Find your copy for sale at the Cape Cod Lavender Farm, Harwich. (Yay, Marcy!) |
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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 Book Store, Birdwatchers General Store, Crocker Nurseries, Wellfleet Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Cape Abilities Farm, Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, the Cape Cod Lavender Farm, and Sea Howl Bookshop.
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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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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