Association to Preserve Cape Cod |
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| A Revealing Conversation by Andrew Gottlieb, Executive Director
Waiting in the cashier line at the local hardware store the other day, I overheard the conversation between a customer and a store clerk. The customer wanted a lawn fertilizer to get an application down right away. In addition to failing to mention to the customer that fertilizer applications in this town are prohibited by local bylaw until April, the clerk pushed a fertilizer herbicide mix that added poisonous insult to fertilizer injury.
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I found the whole exchange kinda depressing, but I bit my lip. The whole idea of fertilizing lawns in early March when there is not enough growing for the plants to take up the nutrients was made worse with the days of heavy rains that we have experienced the last two weeks. Very little of what the customer will have applied did anything other than add to excess nutrients in surrounding waters that will feed aquatic life as the waters warm.
The customer clearly relied on the expertise of the store clerk. The clerk said nothing about time of year restrictions, said nothing about the need to wait until plants begin to grow and compounded the errors by aggressively promoting the application of broadleaf herbicides to eliminate beneficial plants that provide plant diversity to a lawn area and make it less ecologically barren.
Everything about this brief conversation, that is no doubt repeated hundreds, if not thousands, of times across the Cape, says a lot about how far we have left to go to make a dent in reducing needless fertilizer and pesticide use in the residential sector. APCC will be working on new strategies to improve yard care practices; there is clearly a lot left to do. In the meantime, you can swear off the lawn fertilizers and just say no to the pesticides and herbicides this year. The Cape will be better off if you do. |
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Last week, we told you that APCC renewed its request to Senators Markey and Warren and Congressman Keating to be on the lookout to continue to block efforts by the Massachusetts National Guard to obtain additional funding for the construction of the proposed multipurpose machine gun range (MPMGR).
The Guard has a history of seeking funding without the knowledge or support of the Massachusetts congressional delegation and such exceptional diligence is required to assure that no additional funds are allocated to the project, given the EPA's initial determination that its construction would pose a significant threat to the water supply of the Upper Cape. The project does not yet have the necessary approval of the state Environmental Management Commission either, and therefore cannot proceed regardless of EPA or congressional appropriations.
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The time has come for the EPA to finalize its determination that the construction of the MPMGR poses an unacceptable threat to the Upper Cape water supply. We encourage you to let our congressional delegation hear again that you remain concerned with the protection of our water supply and want and expect them to support the EPA’s findings.
Send emails to: [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] with some version of the following:
The time has come for the EPA to finalize its determination that the construction of the MPMGR poses an unacceptable threat to the Upper Cape water supply. I remain concerned with the protection of our water supply and want you to do all you can to support the EPA’s findings and put this issue to rest once and for all. [Name] |
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MA Prohibited Plant List - two additions being considered |
Two plants are being considered for addition to the prohibited plant list: jack pine, Pinus thunbergii, and Bradford/Callery pear, Pyrus calleryana.
Many people are surprised to know that there is an official Massachusetts list of prohibited plants; non-native plant species for which the importation, sale, trade, distribution, and propagation is forbidden. The MA Prohibited Plant List was established in 2006 following the working group of experts.
Non-native, invasive plant species are considered harmful to the biodiversity of our ecosystems due to their aggressive means of reproducing by seed or root, the absence of their natural biological controls, and their spread into wild areas where they dominate and squeeze out naturally occurring native plant communities.
Many gardeners are familiar with the troublesome Asiatic bittersweet, garlic mustard, privet, and Japanese knotweed—just a handful from the growing list of plants with problematic behavior. Most exotic invasive species were introduced into our landscapes through the horticultural industry.
Notice of Public Hearing on the Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List: Testimony may be presented orally at the virtual hearing or in writing. Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on April 26, 2024. Written testimony must be submitted by e-mail to [email protected] or by mail to Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, 225 Turnpike Road, Southborough MA 01772, Attn: Taryn LaScola.
For answers to frequently asked questions, see MA Prohibited Plant List - FAQ. |
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Advocacy at Work
APCC Supports Drought Management Bill (S475 & H861) - APCC asked the House and Senate Ways & Means Committees to move the bill forward for a vote in both chambers. Read letters here. |
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Species Spotlight from APCC's Ecosystem Restoration Program |
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Phragmites australis, or the common reed, is a plant commonly found in brackish wetland habitats. Phragmites is a perennial grass with a hollow stem. The flowering part appears as a silvery purple feathered cluster at the top of each stem during August through October.
The invasive sub-species, Phragmites australis ssp. australis, is most commonly seen in both marsh areas and pondshores. It has been known to take over large swaths of wetland habitats as it grows in dense stands with stems growing to a height upwards of 20 feet. |
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There is a native sub-species of phragmites, Phragmites australis ssp. americanus, which is very similar, but does not grow as high or as densely as its invasive relative. The native and the invasive can be distinguished from one another using this guide.
Because the invasive phragmites can tolerate moderately salty water, stands of phragmites are often found along the edges of salt marshes across the Cape. The density and size of the roots and rapid growth of phragmites outcompetes other native species, threatening the salt marsh health and biodiversity. As part of our Ecosystem Restoration Program salt marsh restoration projects, phragmites patches are mapped, and coverage and height are measured to track change over time. When tidal flow is restored to a marsh by replacing undersized culverts or bridges, the increase in salinity helps restrict the growth and area of Phragmites australis, creating more space for native species.
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A dense patch of Phragmites australis grows right up to the creek edge along Scorton Creek in Sandwich. |
Seasonal Staff Comes on Board |
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| Welcome, Emma Hazel!
Emma is APCC's seasonal pond monitoring technician who started last week. She lives in Orleans and recently graduated from Penn State where she majored in biology with a focus in ecology and minored in marine sciences. She says, "I am excited to learn about the many ponds throughout the Cape that we will be monitoring this season and to get to know everyone at APCC!" |
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Emma's role is working with the Cape Cod Pond Monitoring Program. So if you volunteer to be a pond monitor this season, you may very well go out on a pond with Emma! |
Still Accepting Volunteers for 2024 Herring Monitoring Deadline to sign up is March 22.
Volunteers count several times a week between April 1 and June 15. Counts are done for 10 minutes. Volunteers must be able to safely traverse rough terrain, be able to visually see fish in the stream, and provide their own transportation to and from the counting site. The counts are reported to APCC via our website data entry system.
If you are interested in counting herring,
you can sign up at APCC’s volunteer site here.
Deadline to sign up is March 22nd. |
Currently Scheduled Trainings
Note: Trainings are for the volunteers who have signed up for that run. Eastham Run: Herring Pond
When: Friday, March 22nd, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Where: Eastham Public Library, 190 Samoset Rd Harwich Run: Herring River, Harwich When: Wednesday, March 13th, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Where: Harwich Community Center, 100 Oak St. Mashpee – two trainings Runs: Mashpee River, Quashnet River at Johns Pond, and Santuit Pond dam When: First training: Thursday, March 14th, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Second training: Thursday, March 28th, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Where: Mashpee Town Hall Wellfleet Run: Herring River When: Thursday, March 28th, 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Where: Wellfleet Public Library
Details on these trainings and others can be found on our website at the Herring Monitor Hub. |
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Resilient Roots hosts APCC's education director, Kristin Andres |
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Now accepting applications for these positions: |
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| Eco-landscape Audit Program Manager - April through November
APCC is seeking a qualified individual who is passionate about native plants and ecological landscapes to be the team leader of APCC’s Eco-landscape Audit Program. It will be the second year for the program designed to offer ecological landscape consultations for homeowners. The program team will consist of one or two summer interns and the manager will be the team leader. Read more...
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| Restoration Coordinator - Full-time, year-round position
Responsibilities include managing restoration projects; managing and developing project and consultant engineer scope of work and budgets; working effectively with multiple partners and constituents to plan, initiate, manage and complete multi-year restoration projects, and assisting with seasonal field survey work as needed. Read more...
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The 2023 State of the Waters: Cape Cod report content can be viewed on this dedicated website: CapeCodWaters.org |
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Guidelines for Cape-friendly Landscapes - an APCC publication |
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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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Thank you for this important book! Hopefully everyone of us with a yard will read it and put it to use! - Vicky Titcomb of Titcomb Bookshop |
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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We are grateful for the several retail shops that are partnering with us 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, Heritage Museums and Gardens, Titcomb's Bookshop, and Sea Howl Bookshop, Soares Flower Garden Nursery.
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. Please get on the map to show your support of pollinators on Cape Cod!
SOON, you'll be able to purchase a Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod sign for your garden! These nine-inch round aluminum signs of the Pathway logo will be available for purchase at participating retail nurseries in the coming weeks. |
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| 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 plants for your garden. |
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Lowbush Blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium |
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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 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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APCC is rated four stars by Charity Navigator and 2023 Platinum by Candid (formerly Guidestar). |
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