Association to Preserve Cape Cod |
Above: Photo by Sue Machie |
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Self-Editing by Andrew Gottlieb, Executive Director
APCC was asked to remove a reference to advocating from some advertising copy because there was pressure to "go along to get along." APCC’s essential reason for being is to be a tireless advocate for a better environment. To have been asked to describe who we are without mentioning that we are—and always will be—advocates would have betrayed our reason for being. We rejected, not so nicely, the request and made it clear that our copy would be read the way we wrote it or not at all. The advertiser relented.
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The point here is that organizations like ours, ones that advocate for the environment or other worthy causes and that are willing to speak out against what we consider to be bad policy choices are under enormous pressure to be quiet. APCC will not be quiet. Self-editing in the hope of not drawing attention to oneself might seem the easier path, but is nothing more than appeasement.
The elimination of federal funding for clean water investments in modern wastewater treatment and water supply systems is bad and we need to say so. The elimination of funding for natural resource restoration projects is bad and we need to say so. The elimination of research that informs the establishment of standards that protect air, land and water is bad and we need to say so. Turning a blind eye to regulatory enforcement that gives polluters a free pass to pollute is bad and we need to say so.
The methodical dismantling of federal environmental programs and standards requires our collective pushback. Silence makes it all the easier for regressive policies to be implemented. Speaking out in opposition may not prevent bad policies from being adopted, but silence all but ensures them. Silence is simply complicity. The hard truth here is that if speaking out draws reprisals, they were likely coming eventually. Ducking and covering would do nothing more than betray our founding principles and violate our promise to you. APCC will remain a vocal advocate for the environment. Our silence, should it come someday, will not be self-imposed. |
Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program - Welcomes the First Wave of Interns! |
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| Tina Hennig
Hi, my name is Tina, and I am excited to be a full season intern with APCC’s cyanobacteria team. I grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from UW-Whitewater with a degree in biology and an emphasis on marine and freshwater ecology. I have worked seasonal positions in North Carolina and Florida before coming to the Cape to work with horseshoe crabs and cold-stunned sea turtles. I am looking forward to gaining more lab experience and monitoring the freshwater ponds of Cape Cod with APCC.
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Nora Bowie
Hello, my name Is Nora! I am a lifelong Dennis resident and UMass Amherst alumni. While studying public health at UMass Amherst, I was introduced to environmental health sciences and became interested in environmental sciences and conservation. Being outdoors in nature is a great passion of mine, and I love getting my hands dirty. I am eager to gain lab and field experience and am lucky to be able to work with many instruments that are new to me. As a lifelong Cape Codder, I am excited to explore new corners of the Cape!
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NOTE: The monitoring program commences next week. Check on the status of your favorite pond on our interactive map.
If you see what appears to be a bloom, take a picture, note the day, location, and time and notify the local health department, and email to cyano@apcc.org.
Sign up for cyanobacteria email alerts. |
Ecosystem Restoration Program |
Constructed Wetland Underway in Yarmouth |
Above: Constructed wetland stormwater treatment system currently underway at Curve Hill Rd. Photo by Gerald Beetham |
Work is progressing on the constructed wetland along Curve Hill Road in Yarmouth. This week, crews continued to grade the construction area to create a variety of elevations that will later turn into pools of different depths within the wetland. The picture above shows the area along Curve Hill Rd under construction.
The pool of water, located in the back of the photo, will be one of the deeper pools of water found within the wetland once complete. The surrounding dry areas will become shallow pools within the wetland. Over the next few weeks, crews from C.C. Construction will wrap up construction of the wetland and the area will be planted and seeded by Chase Landscaping. Final work to connect this wetland area to stormwater runoff from the surrounding drainage area from Curve Hill and Great Western Roads will follow, but the bulk of water quality treatment and improvements will come from this wetland area.
APCC is working with the town of Yarmouth to complete this green infrastructure stormwater project with the Horsley Witten Group, our subcontracted engineer. APCC helped the town secure a two-year grant to support design, permitting and construction, and is working with the town to provide ongoing project and grant administration.
Funding for this project has been provided by the town of Yarmouth and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grants. For more information on the Yarmouth Stormwater Project including this and other prioritized sites, visit Yarmouth Stormwater | Association to Preserve Cape Cod.
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Field Notes from the Runs: A Mid-Season Update on Cape Cod’s River Herring
Over the past several weeks, APCC staff have been visiting herring runs across Cape Cod, observing the pulse of the season in real time. At the Mashpee River, herring have been moving steadily upstream. Observers have also reported multiple sightings of sea lamprey—native, anadromous, and parasitic—clinging to migrating fish. Their presence is a striking reminder of the complex ecological interactions at play in our coastal rivers.
At Trunk River in Falmouth, run coordinator, Matt O’Connor, noted that as of early May, returns have been below average this season. Still, there was a notable push on the evening of May 9, when several thousand herring surged upstream toward Oyster Pond, dodging a gauntlet of predatory birds along the way.
Farther east at Stony Brook, APCC recently hosted a volunteer refresher training. These sessions are essential for reinforcing monitoring protocols, answering questions, and sharing field updates. Stony Brook remains one of Cape Cod’s most iconic herring runs—an ideal place for families to witness the migration. If you haven’t yet made the trip, consider bringing a child to watch the fish return. Seeing the run through a young person’s eyes captures the wonder of a migration that has shaped this region for centuries. This year, the Stony Brook run is in a transitional phase as local, state, and nonprofit partners work to restore the upstream and downstream weirs near the Grist Mill.
In other restoration news, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries recently released about 2,000 river herring into Tom Matthews Pond in Yarmouth—the second consecutive year of stocking at this site. The effort is part of a broader strategy to restore native diadromous fish populations across the state. While no returning herring have yet been observed at the pond—either this season or in 2022—such results are expected. River herring typically spend several years at sea before returning to spawn. These recent stockings are a long-term investment in rebuilding the run.
Curious to learn more about Cape Cod’s most iconic fish? Check out Harwich Conservation Trust’s recent article featuring APCC’s restoration ecologist, Mike Palmer.
APCC’s river herring monitoring and outreach programs are made possible through support from the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Partnership. We thank all the volunteers, partners, and community members who make this work possible. | |
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Pond Weed Watchers Workshops Scheduled |
Learn how you can help prevent the spread of invasive weeds in Cape Cod’s freshwater ponds.
To support our pond groups, APCC is hosting two freshwater aquatic plant identification workshops that will be conducted by a representative of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) Lakes and Ponds Program. The first is in June; the same workshop will be repeated in July. Each session is limited to 20 people. Where: The Koppel Center at APCC's headquarters 482 Main Street (Route 6A), Dennis 02638
When: Friday, June 13th, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
OR Friday, July 18th, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. This workshop is designed to assist and encourage local pond groups to monitor their ponds for the presence of invasive plants and to develop a removal plan if an infestation is found. Early identification and intervention of invasive plant species is key before it becomes established in a lake or pond.
Seating is limited. Registration required. |
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Get ready... APCC's ANNUAL PLANT SALE goes live on Tuesday, June 3rd at 8:30 a.m. |
Online orders only.
Pickup by appointment at APCC’s headquarters, 482 Main St, Dennis 02638 CLICK HERE for the list of species Perennials are 1-quart size pots
$10 each plus MA sales tax. Payment accepted at time of pickup: Credit Card, Apple Pay, Cash, Check accepted. Pickups will be scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (June 4 – 6) during our office hours: 8:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.—only. |
Ecolandscape Consultation Program |
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If you are a farmer or someone who wants to grow native plants to sell, or just want to be updated on the program's development, please submit an interest form that appears on our webpage. We will be sending periodic email notices of workshops and meetings.
Funding for the project is provided by Barnstable County and its Economic Development Council License Plate Grant Program through the Cape Cod Commission. |
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The Orleans Pond Coalition (OPC) is pleased to announce the second installment of our new Celebrate Our Waters format. |
World Environment Day this year is June 5th. It’s a movement to help sustain our future. Following up on our April Earth Day celebration, everyone is invited to celebrate the arrival of summer on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7.
Friday, 3:15 – 5:00 p.m. - 30-minute tours of the Orleans’ new state of the art wastewater treatment facility. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. This is a great opportunity to learn more about how our town is working to protect our waters. Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - ‘Under the tent’ in Depot Square at the corner of Old Colony Way and Main St., across from the Hot Chocolate Sparrow. The theme is water quality and testing. Learn more about our waters. Come see the scope of testing programs performed by many dedicated organizations and hands-on demonstrations of testing tools and devices.
Partners under the tent include: the Friends of Pleasant Bay, the Marine and Fresh Water Quality Committee, the Shellfish/Waterways Committee, the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, the Center for Coastal Studies, Silent Spring/STEEP, the Mass Oyster Project, the Orleans Open Space Committee, Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod, Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, and the Nauset Regional High School Green Club. We are also pleased to welcome Orleans Eco-Art, which will offer fun, creative and eco-friendly activities for families.
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Native Plants and Pollinators |
Saturday, June 7th, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Kristin Andres, APCC's associate director for education, will take us on a journey through the natural world, uncovering a hidden life of insects that you didn’t know existed but that drives our ecosystem. The insect world includes specialists and generalists that together form the foundation of our food web; by ensuring that we provide the native plants they need, we gain better food production as well as more beauty in the garden.
Hosted by Resilient Roots at Fuller Farm. |
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Harwich Ponds Coalition ~ Protecting and advocating for Harwich ponds and freshwater resources Annual Kickoff Meeting Saturday, June 14, 10:00 a.m.
at the Harwich Community Center |
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Guest speakers on our expert panel represent the following organizations: - APCC
- Harwich Conservation Trust
- Town of Harwich
- Conservation Department
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Board of Health
- Dept of Natural Resources
Come join us and learn more about how you can make a positive impact on our ponds – starting with our Pond Pledge! |
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A Cape-wide Conservation Event Calendar |
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The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts (“the Compact”) and its nonprofit members launched 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. You can always find the link to the calendar on APCC's website under News & Events.
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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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Email kandres@apcc.org and we'll send you a CapeCodNativePlants.org decal. |
| Cutleaf Coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata |
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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 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, please contact us. |
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APCC caps
$25 -includes USPS deliver in the U.S. |
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Garden for Life T's
$30 -includes USPS delivery in U.S. |
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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!
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. |
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| Rain Barrels for Cape Cod
Order online from Upcycle Products $122 each includes shipping to your door 55 gallon, repurposed food barrels Keep a barrel out of a landfill, and capture some free rainwater. 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. Encourage others 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, 2023 Platinum by Candid (formerly Guidestar), and 2024 Top-Rated by GreatNonprofits. |
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