Association to Preserve Cape Cod

Above: Photo by Sue Machie

APCC Ecosystem Restoration Program

Above: MassWildlife staff surveying the Mashpee River along with a collection of fish encountered during the survey including brook trout, juvenile herring, white sucker, and American brook lamprey.

Survey of Mashpee River Highlights Brook Trout Stronghold

and Native Fish Diversity

Last week, APCC joined MassWildlife biologists for a comprehensive fish survey of the Mashpee River, sampling five sections from the headwaters near Mashpee Wakeby Pond to the cooler, spring-fed reaches in the southern part of the river. MassWildlife plans to repeat this survey annually for five years. The survey provides a detailed snapshot of current fish communities and will help guide future restoration efforts, while serving as a benchmark to monitor ongoing progress.

Two of the surveyed sites in the southern section of the river serve as "control" areas—relatively undisturbed reaches where healthy stream conditions support a robust population of native sea-run brook trout. These coldwater strongholds offer a glimpse of what the river can be when flow, temperature, and habitat come together to support native species.

The other three sites, located farther upstream, reflect the challenges facing the upper river. These northern and middle sections are shallow, with simplified stream channels, warm water conditions, and significant sand deposition. Heavy sanding—often the legacy of upstream bank erosion, channel alteration, and historic cranberry farming—blankets much of the riverbed, covering the gravel and cobble habitats that species like brook trout and the state-threatened American brook lamprey rely on for spawning and feeding. In several places, remnants of cranberry agriculture are still visible, including ditching and raised berms that restrict natural flow and limit habitat complexity.

Despite these altered conditions, the survey revealed encouraging signs. Large numbers of out-migrating juvenile river herring were observed moving downstream—highlighting the Mashpee River’s continued importance as one of Cape Cod’s most significant herring runs. In addition to river herring and brook trout, native species such as American eel, white sucker, tessellated darter, and American brook lamprey were detected. Their presence points to the ecological value held by the river—and its potential to bring back healthier conditions through focused restoration.

A key site north of the fish ladder at Route 130—currently targeted for restoration—holds particular promise. At this location, a dam is proposed for removal to be replaced with a naturalized stream channel and a passable culvert designed to reconnect upstream and downstream habitats. Restoring flow through this reach is expected to expand coldwater habitat and significantly improve fish passage for a range of anadromous species, including river herring, American eel, and brook trout.

Ongoing monitoring efforts like this survey play a critical role in guiding restoration work and evaluating its effectiveness over time. By documenting current conditions and tracking changes in fish communities, we can make informed decisions about where to focus restoration and how to adaptively manage projects as they progress. This type of field-based assessment is essential for ensuring that restoration investments lead to measurable ecological improvements in systems like the Mashpee River.

The next phase of the project, including adaptive management planning, permitting, and final design, is supported by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Transformational Habitat Grant secured by APCC for work to be completed by 2027. APCC is providing grant administration and technical support, working closely with the town of Falmouth, the Cape Cod Conservation District, Fuss & O’Neill, Woods Hole Group, the NOAA Restoration Center, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service. Pre-restoration water quality, vegetation, and elevation monitoring were completed by APCC in 2024 with funds from the Cape Cod Conservation District under the Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project.

For more information, please visit the Oyster Pond Tidal Restoration website. For questions, please contact Jordan Mora, lead ecologist at APCC (jmora@apcc.org).

APCC's Pond Programs

<º/,}}}}}}}=<{ <º/,}}}}}}}=<{

Did you miss the presentation on Mussels, Dragonflies & Damselflies?

Watch it here and find it on our events page.

Above: Jason Carmignani, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, and Julie Hambrook, APCC Pond Programs Manager

After Jason's presentation, a few attendees accompanied him to Scargo Lake where mussels were observed and identified!

Above: Jason Carmignani, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife

Above: APCC intern, Emma Acri

Pond Life Spotlight

Did you know that some of our Cape ponds contain freshwater sponges?

Sponges are recognized as the simplest of multicellular animals. That's right—they are animals, not plants! They are invertebrates and the hard, thin supporting structures that form the “skeleton” of the sponge are called spicules and are made from silica. Sponges are filter feeders and feed on whatever they can filter from the water—bacteria, algae, and tinier animals.

Sponges have different forms: Some grow on rocks or wood, and some rise up like fingers, such as the genus Spongilla, featured in the video below. One of the Spongilla species in Massachusetts is listed by the state as a species of special concern.

Some research suggests that freshwater sponges are more commonly found in pristine waters; therefore, they may serve as indicators of the water quality in the ponds and streams they inhabit.

APCC's Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program

"When in doubt, stay out." High concentrations of potentially toxic cyanobacteria were detected in several ponds last week, at levels that are of concern for pets and children who are more susceptible due to ingestion.

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.

Cape-friendly Landscapes

SOIL

Just one teaspoon of healthy soil can contain anywhere from 100 million to one billion bacteria and several yards of fungal filaments called mycelium that spread through soil in a web-like network. There can be upwards of 7,000 one-celled animals called protozoa, scores of nematodes, and dozens and dozens of arthropods in various life stages, insects like beetles and centipedes—all living together in the soil.

Soil is made up of mineral nutrients, organic matter, water, air, and of course, the organisms. Minerals include: carbon, the building block element of all living things; calcium for building cell walls and several chemical processes; manganese—an essential element in chlorophyll that helps in photosynthesis by which plants produce food with the energy of the sun and carbon dioxide; nitrogen for growth; and potassium to regulate water use and aid to plants in times of drought. Organic matter makes up about five percent of soil and it comes from decomposed organisms that give up their chemical components, such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur for use by other living soil organisms.

Water is critical as a solvent and carrier for plant nutrients. Microorganisms require water for their metabolic processes. There is more carbon dioxide in the soil than in the air we breathe. Soil supplies the infrastructure for plants to grow.

Healthy plant life, the way nature intended it to be, involves a mutualistic relationship between plants and soil organisms. Soil organisms help decompose organic matter, making nutrients available for plant growth. The larger organisms, such as pill bugs and ants, add nutrients to the soil through their waste from feeding on organic matter. Importantly, they help aerate the soil that allows for root penetration, water infiltration, and the spread of beneficial bacteria throughout the soil.

Plants take in carbon dioxide and create carbohydrates through photosynthesis. In doing so, the plants exude sugars to the bacteria and fungi via their roots. These microbes then help convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms for use by the plant for growth, and also make minerals and other nutrients available to plants. Some of the microbes create beneficial networks that reach well beyond the immediate roots of the plants to expand their ability to harvest and deliver water and nutrients. Some soil organisms, like protozoa, eat bacteria and fungi, helping to keep balance in the soil ecosystem.

When the land is treated with fertilizers, fungicides, and insecticides—the soil ecosystem and its natural function are destroyed, leaving plant health dependent upon continued fertilizer use—the equivalent of artificial life support. Enter stage right, native plants. Many of the plants originating in our ecoregion are adapted to our poor soils with low organics and are drought and salt spray tolerant. Assuming "right plant right place," native plants are the best choice for our managed landscapes and do not need fertilizers nor other amendments to the soil.

Ecolandscape Consultation Program

If you desire to make your yard friendlier to pollinators and wildlife, learn more about native plants and controlling invasive species, and hear of ways to conserve water and protect the Cape’s water quality, we can help.

APCC’s Ecolandscape Consultation program is aimed at helping homeowners make their landscapes more ecologically friendly by providing site-specific assessments and oodles of information for the DIYers or those that want to be more informed to hire the right landscape contractor. While we are not landscape designers or engineers, we do have the passion, experience, knowledge, and loads of resources to offer guidance to help you achieve your goals for a Cape-friendly yard.

Click here for more information and

to schedule a consultation!

VOLUNTEER with APCC!

Events Hosted by Others

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.

A Cape-wide Conservation Event Calendar

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.

A Cape Cod Native Plant-selector

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

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

American Elderberry

Sambucus nigra L. ssp. canadensis

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.

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.

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

APCC Merch

NEW! T's

Cyanobacteria ~ tiny but mighty

color kiwi

$30

includes USPS shipping

APCC caps

$25

-includes USPS deliver in the U.S.

Garden for Life T's

$30

-includes USPS delivery in U.S.

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, Heritage Museums and Gardens, 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.