Association to Preserve Cape Cod

 

Above: Photo by Sue Machie

 

APCC Ecosystem Restoration Program

 

Above: Members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s Natural Resources Department, Kta’n Paul, Dale Oakley, Sydney Keane, take groundwater well measurements from Washburn Pond—a wetland adjacent to the Mashpee River. 

A New Partnership: Launching River Monitoring with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

 

Restoring the Mashpee River relies on collaboration and shared expertise. This year, APCC began working with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s Natural Resource Department through the NOAA-funded Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Restoration of the Mashpee River Project. The partnership emphasizes training, hands-on monitoring, and shared stewardship. For the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the Mashpee River and species such as river herring, brook trout, and eel are not only ecologically important, but also central to cultural heritage, traditions, and community life. 

 

Our first joint efforts took place at Washburn Pond, where piezometers installed by Tighe & Bond track groundwater levels. APCC and tribal staff began biweekly readings from these wells, building practical skills in data collection and monitoring. These initial visits set the stage for broader engagement across the watershed. 

 

Through the project, APCC is supporting tribal staff in developing expertise across a range of monitoring activities. Training will expand to include servicing temperature loggers, installing in-stream monitoring equipment, managing datasets, and interpreting results. By engaging directly in these activities, tribal staff not only gain technical skills but also bring their knowledge of local conditions and priorities to the work. 

 

Though still in its early stages, this collaboration lays the foundation for meaningful, long-term engagement. The partnership will grow throughout the fall and spring field seasons, with tribal participants advancing in equipment maintenance, data review, and analysis. Together, APCC and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe are building capacity for tribal-led monitoring and stewardship—strengthening both the science and the community connections that sustain the Mashpee River. 

 

This project is funded by the NOAA Restoration Center, U.S. Department of Commerce under award NA25NMFX463C0020-T1-01. 

 

From Cranberries to Rivers and Wetlands:

Restoration Across Cape Cod 

 

A few weeks ago, APCC staff visited the fully restored Upper Coonamessett River to see how the project has matured since completion. The transformation of retired cranberry bogs into a functioning river and wetland system now provides improved habitat, cleaner water, and greater resilience to flooding. 

 

The Coonamessett is not alone. Across Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts, similar projects are reshaping former bogs and channelized streams into healthy ecosystems. The nearby Childs River has seen major gains with APCC’s assistance, while ongoing work continues on the Upper Quashnet River, Red Brook, and the Mashpee River. These efforts build on the successful restoration of the Lower Quashnet River, long recognized as a model coldwater stream recovery. In Harwich, Hinckleys Pond has been revitalized through the restoration of two adjacent cranberry bogs. 

 

As a recent CBS News article highlighted, Massachusetts cranberry farmers face steep economic challenges. With support from the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration’s Cranberry Bog Restoration Program—as well as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and local and regional partners like APCC—many unproductive bogs are now being restored to natural conditions. The results benefit both people and wildlife, creating cleaner water, more resilient landscapes, and thriving rivers for future generations. 

 

Restoration is most successful when communities stay engaged. If you’d like to learn more and explore opportunities to participate in local cranberry bog restoration, visit the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve’s Source to Sea program. Together, we can continue to support the recovery of Cape Cod’s rivers and wetlands. 

 

APCC and Falmouth Rod & Gun Club Host

Site Tour for Heroes In Transition 

 

Last weekend, APCC and the Falmouth Rod & Gun Club co-led a site tour of the restored Childs River for Heroes In Transition (HIT), a Cape-based nonprofit that provides support, healing, and connection for veterans, service members, and their families. 

 

The visit gave military families a chance to experience the natural beauty and ecological recovery happening right in their own backyard. Walking along the restored river, participants learned how years of collaborative work—led by the Falmouth Rod & Gun Club, APCC, the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, and many other partners—have transformed a degraded ecosystem into thriving habitat for brook trout and other native species. 

 

The event not only showcased the success of local restoration efforts, but also highlighted the powerful link between environmental stewardship and community well-being. For many attendees, it was an opportunity to see how protecting Cape Cod’s natural resources can create meaningful connections close to home. 

 

Above: Bird migration forecast map by BirdCast.

Autumn Bird Migration 

contributed by Nora Bowe, APCC intern with the cyanobacteria program

 

As many summer residents head off-Cape for the fall, so too do many of our feathered friends. With many birds on the move, autumn can be one of the best times to observe those species you’ve been searching for. From songbirds to shorebirds to hawks, here are some things to keep in mind when birding in the fall on Cape Cod.

 

In general, the best time of day to “bird” is early morning or at dusk, as these are often periods of the day birds forage for food. As for weather, the day after a fall cold-front is prime for birds to start migration. So, the first warm day after a few cold days can be ideal for birding.  

 

Some birds stay on the Cape year-round, like the northern cardinal, black-capped chickadee, and European starling. Some species like bluebirds and mourning doves choose to remain on Cape Cod for the winter due to increased food availability and milder winters. Ospreys can typically be seen through September before they migrate south to Central America and then come March, they return to usher in spring. 

 

If you are hoping to spot some piping plovers on the shore, unfortunately the bulk of Cape Cod piping plovers head to warmer coastal waters south of North Carolina, typically by mid-late September. Other shorebirds like common terns and laughing gulls can be spotted migrating to warmer weather through November. Ruby-throated hummingbirds have also already begun their migration to warmer locations as far south as South America.

 

While some birds are leaving the Cape for the winter, some are heading down from their northern summer breeding spots and are ready to spend a winter on the Cape. Most famously, the snowy owl will be migrating south to Cape Cod for the winter as soon as early November. Keep an eye out to spot them around salt marshes, fields, and roadways. 

 

With summer residents leaving, and winter residents arriving, autumn is peak time for birding, so get out there and see who’s flying around your backyard before they’re gone! 

 

To see live bird migration tracked by radar: CLICK HERE.

 

APCC's Pond Programs

If you've been up early lately—maybe walking the dog or grabbing coffee—you might’ve noticed something a little mystical: Many of Cape Cod’s ponds look like they’re steaming—and in a way they are.

 

So, what’s causing this early morning fog show?

 

It all comes down to the contrast between warm water and cooler air. After a long summer, pond water is still holding onto a fair amount of warmth. But now that October nights are getting colder, the air above the water is much cooler, especially just after sunrise.

 

When the warm water meets that cold air, moisture from the pond begins to evaporate. But as soon as it hits the chilly air, that moisture condenses into tiny droplets—forming a layer of fog that hovers just above the surface. This is known as evaporation fog or steam fog.

 

It’s most noticeable at dawn, when the air is at its coldest. Once the sun rises and the air temperature starts to catch up, the fog usually disappears just as quickly as it formed.

 

So, if you catch it, enjoy the moment. It's one of those fleeting signs that Cape Cod is quietly shifting into fall.

 

Orleans Pond Coalition (OPC) hosts gathering to learn more about APCC's Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program

Last weekend, Lynn Francis, APCC pond and cyanobacteria operations manager, spoke to representatives from several Orleans pond groups about APCC's cyanobacteria program, which led to a great discussion with an engaged audience. The meeting was organized by OPC.

 

Cape Cod Pond Watchers Bio-survey Program

~ a training video on how to use the Survey123 app to log your observations in pondside!

Play 
 

APCC's Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program

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.

Please note: The cyanobacteria alert is only sent out when a concern is first identified at a pond. All updates following this initial notice are shared on APCC’s interactive map.  

 

A Place Worth Visiting

by Erin Camire, APCC ecological landscape program coordinator

It was only when paddleboarding across Silver Lake in New Hampshire, basking in the beauty of the white mountains, when our modern relationship with nature really struck me. Nature is a place we visit. It is an escape from our sterile, suburban landscapes—areas where we can appreciate the wild, untamed beauty of the natural world, often as devoid of human presence as possible.

 

Our current strategy for land use, and even land conservation, centers on designating natural areas for hikers and bikers to casually enjoy and then return home to their landscapes that are not within nature. And for me that is the key, the subconscious belief that our homes are not a part of nature.

 

I had a family of downy woodpeckers nest in a small snag in my backyard this year. This species needs around 10 acres of wooded habitat to supply a breeding pair and their brood with enough insects to make it through the year. We as humans may have forgotten that our landscapes are undeniably a part of the greater Cape landscape, but this family of woodpeckers did not.

 

My backyard was their home, and this landscape, my suburban neighborhood, was their territory. The brooding pair were frequent visitors to my bird feeder all season long, but that wasn’t nearly enough to satiate them. Downy woodpeckers are primarily insectivores, especially young woodpeckers, who need a high protein diet. So, in addition to the bird seed, I watched these birds carefully climb up and down the many oak trees of the property. Oak trees support over 400 different species of insects, making them a treasure trove for insects, who have also taken to calling my backyard their home.

 

But as I listened to the chirps of the next generation of woodpeckers get louder and louder as the weeks went by, I began to truly consider how hard it is to live in the ecological wastelands we have created. Of the few trees and perennials scattered throughout barren swaths of lawn, many of them are non-native, and offer little benefits to insects. And to add insult to injury, the insects that can survive without habitat, food, and a place to raise their young are seen as pests to us—things that we need to kill, and we do, in massive quantities. Through chemical pesticides, we lay waste to what little populations remain, and any insects that survive live only to pass these deadly poisons up the food chain, to the birds that eat them.

Above: Image clipped from artwork by Lucy Arnold

Unfortunately, we continue to create these void, sterile landscapes in which nothing but we can survive. And to top it off, we then travel miles to seek out the parts of nature we haven’t destroyed. So, what if instead we simply treat our home landscapes with the same respect we treat our natural areas? Because these areas are not just our homes, they are the homes to thousands of interconnected organisms. We are the only ones who have forgotten that.

 

We may not all have scenic views on our property, or showy tropical flowers, or picturesque mountain peaks, but we can all agree that the Cape is very special place. A place worthy of protection, not only our natural areas, but also the lands we have already lost to development. Because while we have forgotten, the rest of this ecosystem remembers that there is no suburbia, there is only land. Land that can serve the entirety of our ecosystem, or just one species; it’s up to us to decide. Do we continue to view nature as a place we can only visit, or can we remind ourselves to stay present, and see the wonder that already exists right in our own backyard?

 

Please Help Us Put Protection of Nature on the Ballot!

 

APCC and a coalition of over 50 organizations (Nature for Massachusetts Coalition) are pursuing a "Protect Water and Nature Initiative" as a question on the November 2026 ballot.

 

The effort would set aside revenue from the existing state sales tax on sporting goods to dedicate $100 million every year for protecting and conserving water and nature—without raising taxes.

 

We need to collect over 100,000 signatures between September and this November to get the initiative on next year's ballot.

 

If you would like to help us get the needed signatures, CLICK HERE for more information and to volunteer.

It’s time to invest in our future.

Clean water, healthy forests, more trails and parks, 

and access to the outdoors and nature for everyone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the same time we are collecting signatures, there is also a legislative effort: An Act Providing Nature for All. Here is the link to Bill S.2571.

 
 

Events Hosted by Others

Wednesday, October 8th at 6 p.m. at the Cape Cod Tech High School in Performance Space, 2nd floor, Harwich, this presentation will explore recent analyses of brook trout biology on the Quashnet River, share findings from post-restoration recovery monitoring on the Childs River, and highlight ongoing restoration efforts on Red Brook, the Quashnet, and the Mashpee River. Together, these case studies illustrate how collaborative, science-driven projects are advancing coldwater habitat restoration across the Upper Cape.

 

The speaker, Mike Palmer, is a restoration ecologist with the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC), where he leads freshwater restoration projects—including fish passage improvements, retired cranberry bog restoration, and river restoration—while also coordinating the organization’s volunteer river herring monitoring program.

 

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. 

 

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.

Sign Up Here
 

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.

Evening Primrose

Oenothera biennis

 

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

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.

 

Rain Barrels for Cape Cod

 

Order online from Upcycle Products

$122 each

includes shipping to your door

APCC receives a portion of the proceeds.

These are 55 gallon, repurposed food barrels.

For more information, click here.

 

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.

 

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.

Thank you to the homeowners who just contracted to install solar panels through E2 Solar.

 

May the sun always shine for you! 

 

Expressions Gallery, 578 Main Street, Chatham

CLICK HERE

Expressions Gallery donates 20 percent of its profits to APCC's work.

 

Thank you to our business sponsors!

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 APCC is rated four stars by Charity Navigator, 

2024 Platinum by Candid (formerly Guidestar), and

2024 Top-Rated by GreatNonprofits.

 
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