Association to Preserve Cape Cod

Hatches Harbor. Photo by Sue Machie

What I'm Thinking...

Focus Locally

by Andrew Gottlieb, APCC Executive Director

Now that national, and even state level, politics have become a blood sport, there is much more reason to invest your time and energy in local affairs. Effective local governance relies on the dedication of a relatively small number of people and that means your time and effort can make a real difference in outcomes in your town. The urge to just tune out because of the national polarization can be overwhelming. Today’s message is intended to encourage you to refocus your energies where they can have the biggest impact: in town affairs.

Town elected and appointed positions are having a harder time than ever being filled by qualified people for a variety of reasons. There is an opportunity here for environmentally minded and conscious people to step forward and not only fill the service void, but have a significant role in charting the course of town policy in important areas.

We all know that nutrient management through improved wastewater treatment is a long-term need requiring ongoing municipal investment. We know that our freshwater ponds need more attention to protect and restore them. We know that open space acquisition requires more support to fight off the housing bulldozers. We know that preparing for the increasing impacts of climate change requires new thinking about how we manage our environmental resources. To sum it all up, there is a lot of work to do, and good people with an environmental ethos are needed at the local level to do that work.

Don’t tune out, but rather, dial in locally. The needs are great and the opportunity to be the change you desire is sitting right there. The next few months are going to be a rough ride, doing something good locally for the environment will help you assert some control on a world that seems to be spiraling out of control. Get involved, it’s the only way forward.

Above: Juvenile river herring fry heading down the Mashpee River and out to sea on a recent October day.

What Goes Up, Must Come Down: The Out-Migration of River Herring

Every spring, Cape Cod eagerly awaits the return of river herring, a beloved fish that heralds the arrival of warmer waters and the return of other migratory species like osprey and striped bass. These fish journey from the ocean to estuaries, up coastal rivers, and into ponds to spawn. As a forage fish, river herring are a crucial food source for larger marine life, contributing significantly to the health of our coastal ecosystems.

But what goes up must come down. As summer fades, the spent adults, along with millions of newly spawned juvenile fry will embark on a perilous journey from their freshwater nurseries to the open ocean. This annual exodus is a testament to nature's enduring cycles.

The out-migration of river herring, while less celebrated than their spring return, is a remarkable spectacle. As the days shorten and water temperatures drop, herring gather near pond outlets, awaiting the right conditions, like heavy flushing rains, to make their move. When the time is ripe, they descend towards the estuary. The juvenile fry form thick schools, heads pointed upstream, tails swimming futilely into the current, and are slowly swept to sea. Navigating the outgoing river, these fish face numerous dangers. Shallow waters, impassable obstacles, and predators pose constant threats. Their survival depends on their keen senses and innate ability to find their way.

Despite their resilience, river herring populations face threats like habitat loss and overfishing. In areas with barriers to fish passage, operators must ensure adequate water flows to support their migration. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect these valuable species and ensure their continued journey for generations to come.

APCC's Herring Monitoring and Ecosystem Restoration programs are working to monitor and improve river herring habitat on Cape Cod. With recent NOAA funding, we and our many partners are implementing several projects throughout Cape Cod intended to enhance fish habitat and passage from headwaters to the sea. Additionally, we have other initiatives in the works aimed at supporting these vital creatures, so stay tuned!

Please note that we are in the process of finalizing our 2024 river herring count estimates from the volunteer monitoring program and anticipate sharing those results in an upcoming newsletter!

Restoring Flow in Dennis: Multiple Projects Aim to

Improve Local Hydrology

The Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod's Ecosystem Restoration Program is actively working to revitalize local waterways. In Dennis, a series of projects centered around the Sesuit Creek system are underway to enhance water flow and protect water quality.

Stormwater Management at Scargo Lake

Construction on two sites at Scargo Lake, part of the Cape Cod Boat Ramp Stormwater Project, is scheduled to begin this month. This initiative, spearheaded by APCC in partnership with the town of Dennis and Horsley Witten Group, aims to reduce stormwater runoff and improve water quality in Scargo Lake. At Scargo Beach on Dr. Lord’s Road, the existing parking lot will be replaced with porous pavement, allowing rainwater to infiltrate into the ground, rather than washing pollutants into the lake. At Scargo Landing, redirected stormwater will flow into underground treatment chambers, and at both sites planted bioretention areas will be installed, acting as mini-engineered rain gardens that filter out pollutants and promote native plants and habitat.

Culvert Replacement on Route 6A

The town of Dennis is collaborating with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to replace two culverts at the intersection of Route 6A and Sesuit Creek. This project aims to improve fish passage by ensuring adequate openings for aquatic species to migrate between the downstream marsh and the upstream freshwater habitat of Scargo Lake.

Sesuit Creek Saltmarsh Restoration

In 2008, the Sesuit Creek salt marsh was restored to improve tidal flow. Since then, the marsh has shown signs of recovery, with vegetation growth and sedimentation gradually increasing. APCC has been monitoring the progress and completed a pilot planting study to support increased revegetation in the restored marsh. Based on our monitoring and assessment of the success of this pilot study, we plan to complete additional planting of native salt marsh grass next year in some of the persistent bare areas. Ongoing adaptive management will be crucial for ensuring the long-term success of these restoration efforts.

Spotlight on a Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program Partner ~

Gull Pond Area Conservation Association (GUPACA)

Above: Sharon and Gary Kreamer

What is Gull Pond Area Conservation Association?

The Gull Pond Area Conservation Association (GUPACA) is a homeowners association founded in the early 1980s, which has been solely focused on the water quality of the ponds throughout its duration. As its name indicates, GUPACA's interest was initially restricted to the Gull Pond chain of ponds. However, in recent years, GUPACA's interest and resident participation has spread to all the Wellfleet ponds. We have received wonderful cooperation from the Cape Cod National Seashore and town of Wellfleet personnel over the years. Andrew Gottlieb, APCC's executive director, has twice addressed our annual meetings.

How many GUPACA volunteers help with sampling for cyanobacteria?

For the cyanobacteria sampling, we divided the five northern ponds and four southern ponds. Janet and Jeff Buckley are responsible for the northern ponds and Sharon and Gary Kreamer for the southern. There are an additional half dozen volunteers who fill in when needed.

Why GUPACA feels it’s important to monitor for cyanobacteria in Wellfleet?

Wellfleet has some of the last pristine ponds of Cape Cod. They are the gems of Wellfleet, critically important environmentally, culturally and economically to the town. We, who have any possibility to work to protect them, have an obligation to future generations to do so.

Where can people go for more information about GUPACA?

We are starting the process of transitioning GUPACA into the Wellfleet Ponds Coalition (WPC), a Wellfleet-wide organization open to all in Wellfleet who value and love the ponds. The WPC will be a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mandate to monitor, advocate for, and educate the public about Wellfleet's ponds. Anyone interested in helping with the founding effort now, or joining the established WPC in spring of 2025, should contact Herb Gstalder, at herb@gstalder.com or Laura Hewitt at hewittriley@verizon.net.

Above: Jeff and Janet Buckley

APCC's Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program wraps up November 7, 2024. Results are displayed on the interactive map. For a list of ponds being monitored through October, click here. For any information on Brewster ponds, email info@brewsterponds.org. You can sign up for cyanobacteria bloom alerts here—and receive a notice when a bloom is detected, except for any occurrences in Brewster.

Farming Falmouth ~

Inspirational progress with the Community Orchard

at Tony Andrews Farm!

A Cape-wide Conservation Event Calendar

The first-of-its-kind calendar highlights regional nature programs

The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts (“the Compact”) and its nonprofit members are excited to launch a new regional calendar of events. The Conservation Calendar includes programs across Cape Cod hosted by these groups. The goal of the calendar is to encourage visitors and residents to take part in nature and environmental events.

Powered by the “Communications Cohort,” an informal group of dedicated community outreach volunteers and professional staff co-led by the Barnstable Land Trust and APCC, this initiative illustrates the powerful impact of nonprofit collaborations. Events can be sorted by date, town, organization, and type and is constantly being updated.

A Cape Cod Native Plant-selector

~ to help you choose the perfect native plants for your garden.

Email membership@apcc.org and we'll send you a CapeCodNativePlants.org decal.

Fragrant Sumac

Rhus aromatica

Guidelines for Cape-friendly Landscapes - an APCC publication

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.

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?

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, Sea Howl Bookshop, Soares Flower Garden Nursery, and Eight Cousins Bookshop.

If you are a retailer and would like to sell this publication at your store, contact Kristin at kandres@apcc.org.

You can also view the book's content as a pdf on our website.

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!

You can purchase the 9-inch aluminum Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod sign at Hyannis Country Garden, Crocker Nurseries, Brewster Book Store, Orleans Conservation Trust, and

Cape Abilities Farm.

If you are a retailer, and you would like to sell the signs, you can order online here, or email pollinators@apcc.org.

APCC Merch