Association to Preserve Cape Cod

 

Above: West Reservoir, Harwich. Photo by Sue Machie

 

What I'm Thinking...

Go To Town Meeting

by Andrew Gottlieb, APCC Executive Director

If your town has a fall town meeting, and many do in the next few weeks, you need to go. Why? The thought here is that the importance of decisions made locally has never been more important that it is now. The federal government is shut down, and the states are struggling to adjust to the new landscape, but local government, the level of government closest to the residents it serves, must continue to function. The broadest possible level of participation by voters makes town meeting better and more reflective of the wide range of views and interests present in our communities.

Maybe there is an important environmental item on the warrant, maybe not. Regardless, you should still attend because you will learn more about your community than you knew when you arrived. You might even connect with someone new and deepen your ties to the community. You should go because it’s the people who show up who decide what happens in your town, and what is more important than that?

 

APCC Seeks Advocacy Director - see job description here.

 

APCC Ecosystem Restoration Program

 

Rain, Runoff, and Restoration: Stormwater 101 

 

At APCC, stormwater management is one of three key focus areas for our Ecosystem Restoration Program. Our goal is to identify, design, and install green infrastructure projects that help protect and restore water quality in our lakes, ponds, rivers, and coastal estuaries. These efforts do more than just clean our waters—they restore habitat, support recreation like fishing, boating, and swimming, and help our communities become more resilient to heavier storms and increased rainfall. 

 

But what exactly is stormwater? And why should it matter to you? 

 

When rain or melting snow falls on hard surfaces—like rooftops, driveways, and roads—it can’t soak into the ground. Instead, this stormwater runoff flows across these surfaces, picking up pollutants along the way and carrying them into our waterways. That runoff can collect bacteria from pet and wildlife waste, as well as nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen from lawn fertilizers and other sources. Once in the water, these pollutants cause real problems: bacteria lead to beach and shellfish closures, while excess nutrients can trigger algal blooms (including toxic cyanobacteria blooms) that deplete oxygen and cause fish kills when they die off. In short—stormwater pollution is bad for the environment and bad for us.

 

That’s where APCC comes in. Through our freshwater ponds programs and State of the Waters annual report, we monitor the health of Cape Cod’s waters. And through our Ecosystem Restoration Program, we take action—identifying problem areas, securing funding, and working with towns and community partners to capture and treat stormwater before it reaches our waterbodies. 

 

Want to learn more? Check out our Stormwater 101 video to see how green infrastructure is helping protect Cape Cod’s waters—one project at a time. 

 

Grants Secured to Advance Stormwater Improvements

Across Cape Cod

 

The Association to Preserve Cape Cod is proud to announce funding has been secured for three stormwater projects totaling $467,000 through the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management’s (CZM) Coastal Habitat and Water Quality (CHWQ) Grant Program. These projects will help reduce stormwater pollution, improve water quality, and protect coastal ecosystems across Cape Cod.

 

Over the past decade, APCC has worked closely with Cape municipalities and stormwater engineers at the Horsley Witten Group to complete assessments of over 100 sites and construct 14 green stormwater systems. These projects integrate native plantings and nature-based designs that capture, filter, and infiltrate runoff before it reaches our lakes, pond, bays, and estuaries.

 

With this new round of CZM funding, APCC and our partners will continue advancing nature-based stormwater solutions that strengthen coastal resilience and protect coastal habitats.

The newly awarded projects include:

 

Herring River Boat Ramp, Harwich - $44,745 awarded to APCC
In partnership with the town of Harwich, this project will complete final design utilizing green infrastructure systems that use natural processes to treat stormwater runoff to the Herring River and protect the adjacent salt marsh.

Above: Herring River boat ramp

Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Boat Ramp, Mashpee - $250,000 awarded to the town
Along with additional funding secured by the town of Mashpee, the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Office of Fishing and Boating Access, and APCC this grant will support construction at the Mashpee-Wakeby Pond boat ramp. The project includes multiple systems, including bioretentions and underground chambers designed to filter, infiltrate, and hold stormwater, reducing nutrient and bacteria pollution to Mashpee Pond, the Mashpee River and ultimately Popponessett Bay.

Above: Mashpee-Wakeby Pond boat ramp

Yarmouth Stormwater Retrofits - $172,268 awarded to the town
Under contract to the town of Yarmouth and working with stormwater engineers at Horsley Witten Group, APCC will support this project to advance stormwater designs at Wings Grove Beach on Long Pond and along Old Main Street, and complete final design and permitting for a bioretention system on Grove Street draining to Hyannis Harbor. These efforts target impaired water bodies south of Route 6 and prioritize benefits to fish, shellfish, beaches, and environmental justice communities.

Above:  Lewis Bay, Grove Street, Yarmouth

With continued support from CZM and our local partners, APCC is helping to build a healthier, more sustainable future for Cape Cod. To read more about this year’s CZM grant recipients, read the press release from CZM here: Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $1.1 Million to Protect Coastal Water Quality and Restore Habitat

 

APCC's Living Landscape

Above: Skipper on rabbit tobacco. Photo by Sue Machie.

We are loving a volunteer plant that showed up in our landscape: rabbit tobacco, aka sweet everlasting (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium). We know why it found us: Our landscape was significantly disturbed from the barn renovation project, and the seeds of rabbit tobacco are carried by the wind. If you crush a leaf, there is a wonderful maple syrup smell, making it a nice addition to any garden. 

 

This annual is fairly easy to grow from seed and does well in medium to dry soil, with full sun. It is the larval host for the American lady butterfly. It's care-free.

 

Historically, it has been known to be used as an herbal remedy for sore throats, pneumonia, colds, fevers and diarrhea.

 
 

If you missed it...

 

APCC was thrilled to host Russ Cohen—the 'Johnny Appleseed' of native plants, plantsman, and well-known forager—at APCC's Koppel Center. 

 

Russ is author of Wild Plants I Have Known...and Eaten. Russ always shares more than his knowledge--he brings some treats to share with the audience that he's made that may be a sweet treat from black walnuts, sumac tea, fox grape sorbet!

 

While we can't share the yummy treats, we can share the recording of Russ's presentation here (scroll to the video at the bottom of the event page).

 

APCC's Pond Programs

 

Cape Cod's Freshwater Turtles

contributed by Nora Bowie, Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program Intern

 

You may have seen a turtle crossing sign around the Cape and thought, “what a silly thing to tell the turtles to cross the road right here." The signs are actually posted to alert us humans that there may be slow moving turtles on or around the road. 

 

Every year between the months of May and June, aquatic and land turtles will venture out in search of a place to lay eggs. Some female turtles will travel a considerable distance to locate a suitable nesting site and, in the process, may risk their lives crossing roadways.

 

From late August to early October, the eggs laid in spring will hatch. The hatchlings will then tempt fate, just as their mothers did, to find a place to overwinter.  

The following are six species of freshwater turtles commonly found on the Cape: 

  • Snapping turtle: known for its size of up to 35 lbs. and their formidable bite when on land, however docile when submerged in the water. 
  • Diamondback terrapin (a "threatened" species): most notably known for the unique diamond shaped markings on its shell, having grey skin and numerous black spots and living in coastal marshes. 
  • Painted turtle: known for their vibrant red and yellow markings. 
  • Spotted turtle: known for its smooth black shell speckled with small yellow dots, giving it a “polka-dot” appearance. 
  • Eastern musk turtle, also known as “stinkpot”: known for the foul-smelling secretions it releases when handled. 
  • Eastern box turtle (a protected species of "special concern"): known for the ability to hide within their shells like a box to protect themselves from predators with a hinged plastron, which is the bottom part of their shell. 

You can help protect a turtle when it's crossing the road by doing the following: 

  • Slow down and be observant on roads that are near ponds, rivers, or wetlands. 
  • Be cautious of passing cars and without risk of harm to you or others, you can pull over and help them cross the road. 
  • Gently pick up the turtle with both hands along the shell edge (avoid snapping turtles) and move the turtle in the direction that it was heading. 
  • Place it a few feet off the road in the direction it was heading. 
 

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.  

 

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.

 
 

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.

American Cranberry

Vaccinium macrocarpon

 

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, 

2025 Platinum by Candid (formerly Guidestar), and

2024 Top-Rated by GreatNonprofits.

 
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APCC is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

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