Coalition for Buzzards Bay to Take the Plunge

Swim Buzzards Bay, a 1.2-mile open water swim and fundraising event for the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, will take place next Saturday, July 19, 2008. The swim, from Davy’s Locker Beach in New Bedford to Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven, affirms the importance of clean water and a healthy environment and raises money for the Coalition’s education, conservation, research and advocacy programs.

To register to swim, sponsor a swimmer, or view photos from the 2007 swim, please visit the Coalition for Buzzards Bay’s website.

Tidal Science in Falmouth Studies Nitrogen Generated by Land Use

"Tidal Science for Dire Days"
Cape Cod Times, June 29, 2008
By Doug Fraser

Doug Fraser reports that the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Falmouth may be one of the most heavily researched bodies of water in the world. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the 2,250-acre reserve has been instrumental in understanding how increased levels of nitrogen caused by land use affects the Cape’s coastal waters. “With its mix of ponds, rivers, bays, pine forests and barrier beaches, the reserve is home to everything from rare and endangered plant and animal studies to research on sea rise and global warming."

Local and Regional Job Opportunities

Whether you are a budding conservationist, natural resources scientist, seasoned environmental leader, or fund raiser who understands the value of greenery, here are some interesting local and regional job opportunities related to land conservation and open space preservation:

•  Director of Development, Barnstable Land Trust

•  Vice President for Watershed Protection, Coalition for Buzzards Bay

•  Summer Outreach Assistant, Coalition for Buzzards Bay

•  Development and Finance Assistant, Coalition for Buzzards Bay

•  Research Supervisor, Nantucket Conservation Foundation

•  Preserve Manager, Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts

•  Southeast/Islands Regional Director, Mass Audubon

•  Massachusetts State Development Director, Trust for Public Land

State Launches New Park Passport Program

“MA DCR Launches New Park Passport Program”
Cape Cod Today, June 25, 2008

Cape Cod Today reports that the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is launching a new Park Passport program in 76 state parks this Saturday, June 28, 2008. The free program will provide park users with little blue passports and artist-designed stamps to let them document their park visits. The passports also include tips for safe hiking and a guide to identifying animal tracks. Part of the national No Child Left Inside initiative, the Park Passport program is being partly funded with a $36,000 grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.

Participating parks include:

•  Nickerson State Park in Brewster
•  Scusset Beach State Reservation in Sandwich
•  Shawme-Crowell State Forest in Sandwich
•  Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Falmouth

Wildlands Trust Unveils Redesigned Website

The Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts recently launched a redesigned website. Simple and easy to navigate, the site contains the Trust’s statement of mission, list of preserves, press releases, newsletters, and annual reports. Two of the site's most notable features: beautiful photographs and “Tools for Towns,” a section of online mapping tools.

Founded in 1973 as the Plymouth County Wildlands Trust, the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving land and preserving the natural heritage of Southeastern Massachusetts. To date, it has protected over 5,400 acres of land in four counties and 31 communities across the region.

Sheehan Family Foundation: Recent Grants

Founded in 1992 and endowed by wholesale beer distributor L. Knife and Son, Inc., of Kingston, MA, the Sheehan Family Foundation’s mission is “to protect the environment and to enhance the quality of education, with a focus on projects in eastern Massachusetts.”

More specifically, according to the Foundation’s Five Year Report: 2003 to 2007, “We continue to focus on protecting land, rivers, and oceans with grants to purchase open space and for capacity building to bring together top talent and resources. Protecting our natural resources against ever-mounting threats due to the rapid pace of development in Southeastern Massachusetts requires increasingly complex strategies. ... We continuously reexamine and revise our strategies to maximize the impact of our grants. Over the past five years, our 26 environmental grants were each linked directly to our strategies and leveraged about $10 million in public and private funds.”

Grants to nonprofits for the period 2003 to 2007 included:

•  Coalition for Buzzards Bay, $45,000, to advocate for solutions to improve the Bay’s ecology

•  Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, $30,000, to protect Bone Hill Farm in Barnstable

•  Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts, $377,250

•  Woods Hole Research Center, $25,000, "to produce an educational poster showing land use changes in Southeastern Massachusetts from 1971-1999 and forecast two possible growth scenarios for the year 2030"

•  Yarmouth Conservation Trust, $10,000, to preserve the Dennis Pond conservation area

Photography Contest Sponsored by Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

As part of the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve’s 20th Anniversary celebration, it is sponsoring a photography contest for local photographers. Participants can submit a photo for one of two categories: “Nature: Land & Sea and Flora & Fauna” or “People: Working and Playing.” The deadline for submitting a photo is July 15, 2008, and only photos of the Reserve's properties are eligible. For more information, please read the contest entry form.

Meanwhile, if you have never had an opportunity to visit the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Falmouth, please consider viewing its online slide show.

Protect Your Noggin With a Conservation Cap

As summer approaches, it’s important to maintain proper head protection from the powerful rays of the sun. A great way to do this is to purchase a conservation cap, which is nothing more than a baseball cap or bucket hat with a neat conservation logo! Check out offerings from these organizations:

•  Coalition for Buzzards Bay

•  Nantucket Conservation Foundation

•  Orenda Wildlife Land Trust

•  Quissett Harbor Preservation Trust

•  The 300 Committee

•  Mass Audubon

•  The Nature Conservancy

•  Trust for Public Land

The 300 Committee to Race for Open Space in Falmouth

For the fifth consecutive year, The 300 Committee, Falmouth's land trust, is participating in the Falmouth Road Race as part of the race’s “numbers-for-nonprofits program." Last year, the race raised more than $1 million for local, state, and national nonprofits. This year, the 36th running of the race will take place on Sunday, August 10, 2008.

For more information about how you can support The 300 Committee through its participation in the 2008 Falmouth Road Race, please read the posting on the Committee’s website.

Volunteer at the Coalition for Buzzards Bay

The Coalition for Buzzards Bay is just one of the many conservation and environmental organizations on the Cape & Islands that leans upon the hard work and generosity of volunteers to help fulfill its mission.

Founded in 1987, the Coalition for Buzzards Bay is a “membership-supported non profit organization dedicated to the restoration, protection and sustainable use and enjoyment of our irreplaceable Bay and its watershed. The Coalition works to improve the health of the Bay ecosystem for all through education, conservation, research and advocacy.”

At the moment, volunteer opportunities at the Coalition include:

•  Baywatchers: Help monitor harbors, coves, and rivers of the Bay

•  Baykeeper Support: Help keep the Bay clean by providing pump-out service to boaters in Cuttyhunk

•  Office Support: Help with office reception and membership mailings

•  Beach Clean-Up: Help clean the Bay’s beaches

•  Swim Buzzards Bay, July 19, 2008: “Each year swimmers participate in a 1.2 mile open-water swim across outer New Bedford Harbor. The funds they raise to support their swim, along with the public awareness generated from the event, make for a great day for Buzzards Bay. Volunteers are needed to swim, as well as help organize, promote and ensure the event goes off without a hitch.”

For more information, please visit the Volunteer Opportunities page at the Coalition’s website.

Norcross Wildlife Foundation: Recent Grants

The Norcross Wildlife Foundation was founded in 1965 by Arthur D. Norcross, founder of the Norcross Greeting Card Company and a native of Monson, MA. Located in New York City, the Foundation’s mission includes “To support, through grants, gifts, easements and loans-for-land, the activities of a national and international constituency of not-for-profit wildlife conservation organizations.”

With assets of more than $70 million, the Foundation has awarded grants over the past few years to several Cape Cod organizations, primarily for computer-related equipment. For example:

•  Barnstable Land Trust, $2,000 in 2006, for digital camera and LCD projector

•  Coalition for Buzzards Bay, $3,000 in 2004, for equipment for new facility at Nashawena Mills

•  Coalition for Buzzards Bay, $5,000 in 2007, for an electronic fish counter and/or associated equipment and materials

•  Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, $3,000 in 2006, for computer equipment, digital camera, and GIS software

•  Harwich Conservation Trust, $3,200 in 2004, for PowerPoint projection equipment for public education

•  Harwich Conservation Trust, $3,000 in 2007, for digital copier and desktop computer

•  Orenda Wildlife Land Trust, $2,000 in 2003, for computer-related equipment

•  The 300 Committee, $3,000 in 2003, for digital camera and projector

•  Tuckernuck Land Trust, $5,000 in 2005, for materials for closets, shelves, and hardware for new field station

Summer Photo Contest Hosted by Falmouth's Quissett Harbor Preservation Trust

Photographs are now being accepted for Quissett Harbor Preservation Trust's 2008 Summer Photo Contest.

“We are looking for striking images of nature, birds, insects, and all creatures on land and life on or beneath the water's surface in and around Quissett Harbor and the Knob. These images may show bird and animal behavior, portraits of birds and wildlife in natural habitat, plant life, natural landscapes, weather or people interacting with nature.”

Images will be judged on overall photographic and artistic quality. The contest is open to all photographers and there are no entry fees. The deadline for submitting a photograph is August 31, 2008.

Established in 2000, the Quisset Harbor Preservation Trust is a not-for-profit environmental organization created to preserve, maintain, protect and enhance the natural environment and related ecosystems of the Quissett Harbor area in Falmouth.

Calendar of Events for June 2008

June offers many wonderful opportunities to enjoy and learn about the environment of Cape Cod and the Islands. Below are just a few of the dozens of local events scheduled. Some events are members-only but most are open to the general public. Please check the respective websites for details and more listings!

Sunday, June 1st, 2008
Bird Walk, Wellfleet
“The early bird gets the worm and the early birder gets the best birds. The sanctuary’s many habitats support a wide variety of birds from herons to hummingbirds, waders to warblers, and everything in between.”
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Mass Audubon

Wednesday, June 4th, 2008
Walk: Bell's Neck Conservation Area, Harwich
Cape Cod Natural History Museum

Saturday, June 7th, 2008
Natural History Book Sale, Brewster
“This special sale will include contributions from members, a superb collection of recent gardening books AND a huge pile of ‘Oldies But Still Goodies’ from the Clarence Hay Library.”
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

Saturday, June 7th, 2008
Botanical Walk Coy’s Brook Woodlands, Harwich
“Botanist and journalist Rich Eldred will point out flora in a variety of wetland and upland habitats.”
Harwich Conservation Trust

Sunday, June 8th, 2008
1st Annual Nantucket Family Adventure, Nantucket
“Families will get outdoors, explore Nantucket, and participate in fun activities such as scavenger hunts, geocaching, games, letter boxing, nature walks and more.”
Hosted by Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Mass Audubon, Nantucket Land Council, Linda Loring Nature Foundation and other organizations.

Sunday, June 8th, 2008
Landscape Painting with Karen North Wells, Brewster
“A two-day workshop with noted Brewster artist Karen North Wells.”
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

Wedneday, June 11th, 2008
Great Island Hike, Wellfleet
“This hike will traverse salt marshes, dunes, and Cape Cod Bay, and will explore the woods of the interior of the island. Scenic vistas of Wellfleet Harbor will also be seen from high cliff tops.”
Cape Cod National Seashore

Saturday, June 14th, 2008
Bridge Creek Conservation Area Walk, West Barnstable
“BLT’s own Tom Mullen will lead you on an exploration through the town-owned Bridge Creek Conservation Area and BLT’s recently preserved two-acre parcel at Bayview Farm. Learn about recent efforts to preserve Bayview Farm and restore Bridge Creek.”
Barnstable Land Trust

Saturday, June 14th, 2008
A Walk in the Hawksnest Woods with Commentary, Harwich
“Join walk leader, Irwin Schorr, as he interprets the history, folklore, geology and botany of the six ponds area.”
Harwich Conservation Trust

Saturday, June 14th, 2008
Kayaking Chase Garden Creek in Yarmouth
“This creek is a long meandering creek that is protected from the stronger winds of Barnstable Harbor. Close encounters with osprey nests and other bird life is a certainty. Kayaks, paddles and life vests provided.”
Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, Mass Audubon

Sunday, June 15th, 2008
Family Day at Peterson Farm, Falmouth
“Join us for an afternoon of exploration and fun activities at one of Falmouth's oldest farms. Watch sheep herding, build a scarecrow, or go on a bird walk or nature scavenger hunt. You can also see live turtles in a program led by Ian Ives, sanctuary director for Mass. Audubon.”
The 300 Committee

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
Nature Photography with Stan Godwin, Brewster
“This course will introduce the technique of fine nature photography using digital capture.”
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
Sandy Neck Plover Walk, West Barnstable
“Join Sandy Neck Park Manager and Naturalist, Nina Coleman and BLT for a one-mile hike through the dunes of Sandy Neck to the Piping Plover nests hidden along the front beach. Explore barrier beach ecology, learn about the Plover’s life-cycle and the conservation measures that are being taken to protect these endangered shorebirds.”
Barnstable Land Trust

Thursday, June 19th, 2008
Seashore Ramble, Wellfleet
“Explore the area where the land meets the sea, searching for animals and plants of the salt marsh and tidal flats. Using nets, small fish traps, and buckets, you will discover the world of crabs, shrimp, fish, and clams.”
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Mass Audubon

Thursday, June 19th, 2008
Campfire Sing-Along with Denya Levine and Tim Dickey
Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet
Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore

Friday, June 20th, 2008
Solstice Cruise Around Sandy Neck
Celebrate summer with a cruise aboard the Hyannis Whale Watcher. Commentary and local lore by Nina Coleman, a Sandy Neck Park Manager, Ian Ives, of Mass Audubon, and Ken Morton, the Sandy Neck Lighthouse Owner.
Barnstable Land Trust

Saturday, June 21st, 2008
Shore to Shore Hike, Wellfleet
“Walk across the Cape starting on the bay side of the Sanctuary and head to the ocean. We’ll walk through the pine woods of Bay View Trail, cross Route 6, hike along Fresh Brook swamp, then enjoy a panoramic view from the heathland above the cliffs at the Outer Beach.”
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Mass Audubon

Saturday, June 21st, 2008
Meadow Point Walk, Cotuit
“Join BLT member Bob Livingston for a walk through Meadow Point, BLT’s 28-acre ‘crown jewel’ at the southern-most tip of Barnstable. Enjoy the beauty and serenity of this meadow fringed by upland and bordered by Popponesset Bay. Bring a snorkel, mask, and water shoes if you’d like to participate in an optional swim.”
Barnstable Land Trust

Saturday, June 21st, 2008
Family Walk: Aquatic Creatures at Bank Street Bogs, Harwich
“Families with school age children will search the bogs with walk leader Jan Cormier.”
Harwich Conservation Trust

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
Kayaking Barnstable Harbor and the Great Marsh
“Launching from Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, we will explore the many tidal creeks and islands of the harbor, looking for shorebirds, osprey, horseshoe crabs and other creatures of the marsh. We'll also come ashore at the Sandy Neck barrier beach lighthouse. ... Kayaks, paddles and life vests provided.”
Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, Mass Audubon

Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Walking With Authors, Eastham
“Experience Cape Cod through the eyes of some of the area’s most beloved authors, such as Beston, Thoreau, Hay, and others. See what they saw, feel what they felt, and hear what they heard. Join local author Dana Eldridge, and stroll the edge of Nauset Marsh.”
Cape Cod National Seashore

Saturday, June 28th, 2008
Searching for Thoreau’s Cape Cod, Wellfleet
“Searching for Thoreau, a compilation of essays by Tom Slayton, transports the reader to places in New England most important to Thoreau, highlighting and reflecting on 150 years of change. Slayton was the editor-in-chief of Vermont Life Magazine from 1986–2007 and a long-time commentator for Vermont Public Radio.”
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Mass Audubon

Saturday, June 28th, 2008
Botanical Walk: Bank Street Bogs Conservation Lands, Harwich
“Join botanist Robert Zaremba for a look at the many wild grasses in and around this conservation area.”
Harwich Conservation Trust

Saturday, June 28th, 2008
Hike: “More Walking, Less Talking,” Provincetown
“Wake up early Saturday mornings and join us for an energetic fitness hike off the beaten path and into some of the Outer Cape’s unique and secluded places.”
Cape Cod National Seashore

Nominations for 2008 Land Trust Alliance Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2008 Land Trust Alliance awards, which honor the work of member land trusts and land conservationists across the country. To be presented at the Alliance’s Rally 2008 in September, these peer-nominated awards offer an opportunity to highlight land conservation successes and recognize land trust leaders for their hard work and dedication to protecting land.

Nominations for the following awards should be submitted by July 1, 2008:

•  Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award
•  National Land Trust Excellence Award
•  National Conservation Volunteer of the Year

Last year the Coalition for Buzzards Bay was selected as the first recipient of the National Land Trust Excellence Award for the work of its Bay Lands Center, which protected more than 3,000 acres of land from 2001 to 2006. Learn more about the Coalition's ongoing campaign to preserve open space in the watershed by tuning into "Land Conservation on Buzzards Bay," an upcoming piece on WCAI radio, the Cape and Islands NPR station, on Friday, June 6, 2008. The piece is part of a series on Cape Cod's waters.

Senator Kerry Announces Grant for Waquoit Bay

"Kerry Announces $550K Grant for Waquoit Bay Study"
Falmouth Bulletin, May 20, 2008

FALMOUTH -- U.S. Senator John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, has announced that the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve will receive $550,000 from the Department of Commerce.

The funding will be used for operations and management research, monitoring, education and resource protection programs for the reserve. ...

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve was designated in 1988 and encompasses approximately 2,700 acres of open water, salt marsh, salt ponds and adjacent uplands in the towns of Falmouth and Mashpee. ©

Read the full article in the Falmouth Bulletin.

Fields Pond Foundation: Recent Grants

Established in 1993 and based in Waltham, Mass., the Fields Pond Foundation provides “financial assistance to nature and land conservation organizations that are community-based and that serve to increase environmental awareness by involving local residents in conservation issues.”

Over the past several years, the Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $100,000 to a number of private conservation organizations to assist in land acquisitions on the Cape, including:

•  Barnstable Land Trust, $8,000 in 2006, toward acquisition of 23-acre forest parcel at Cordwood Road, linking Almy Atlantic White Cedar Swamp and Eagle Pond in Cotuit

•  Barnstable Land Trust, $4,000 in 2004, toward Hot Bottom Road Pathway project

•  Barnstable Land Trust, $7,000 in 2004, toward acquisition of Bone Hill Farm, a gateway parcel to Mass Audubon’s Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary

•  Brewster Conservation Trust, $5,000 in 2006, toward protection of pitch pine and mixed oak waterfront parcel on Pine Pond

•  Friends of Pleasant Bay, $10,000 in 2006, toward protection of Eelman’s Point, providing public access to Pleasant Bay in Orleans

•  Harwich Conservation Trust, $3,000 in 2006, toward construction of new trail for William & Barbara Land Hacker Wildlife Sanctuary

•  Harwich Conservation Trust, $10,000 in 2003, toward acquisition of 42-acre parcel on shoreline of Monomoy River at Pleasant Bay

•  Massachusetts Audubon Society, $12,000 in 2003, toward acquisition of six acres to Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet

•  The Nature Conservancy, $12,000 in 2005, toward acquisition of five parcels at Sandy Neck

•  The Nature Conservancy, $7,000 in 2002, toward acquisition of Furman Tract on Sandy Neck in Barnstable

•  The Nature Conservancy, $12,000 in 2001, toward acquisition of 18 acres at Sandy Neck in East Sandwich

•  Orenda Wildlife Trust, $6,000 in 2001, toward Dawson acquisition on Cape Cod

•  Orenda Wildlife Trust, $3,000 in 2001, toward Mercy Lowe acquisition in Mashpee

•  Orleans Conservation Trust, $8,000 in 2004, toward acquisition of Brooks Property, a seven-acre parcel connecting two freshwater ponds

•  The 300 Committee, $8,000 in 2007, toward acquisition and protection of River Bend Farm on Coonamesett River in Falmouth

•  The 300 Committee, $6,000 in 2005, toward acquisition of 8-acre parcel on Quashnet River in Falmouth

•  The 300 Committee, $7,000 in 2003, toward acquisition of Toner Parcel in Falmouth

•  Truro Conservation Trust, $10,000 in 2005, toward acquisition and protection of Poor Hill, overlooking Pamet Harbor

•  Wellfleet Conservation Trust, $7,000 in 2005, toward acquisition of Whale Bone Point, a gateway to waterfront conservation lands

All information taken directly from the Foundation’s Form 990-PF’s.

2007 Town Annual Reports

Several towns have posted their 2007 Annual Reports on the Internet. While reading these reports isn't as enjoyable as reading a Robert Finch essay, it's a great way to learn about the accomplishments of municipal conservation, land acquisition, open space, and community preservation committees.

Reports for the following towns are available in pdf format. Note that some of the files are quite large and can take a while to download.

•  Barnstable (44 MB, 236 pages)

•  Bourne (11.7 MB, 368 pages)

•  Chatham (15.1 MB, 274 pages)

•  Dennis (4.4 MB, 467 pages)

•  Falmouth (2.5 MB, 216 pages)

•  Orleans (1.8 MB, 187 pages)

•  Provincetown (668 KB, 229 pages)

•  Sandwich (2.1 MB, 160 pages)

•  West Tisbury (5.3 MB, 194 pages)

Recent Nonprofit 990 Filings for Public Review

Recent IRS Form 990 filings for several local nonprofit organizations are available for public review:

•  Eastham Conservation Foundation, Form 990-PF for FY 2007

•  Quissett Harbor Preservation Trust, Form 990-PF for FY 2007

•  Yarmouth Conservation Trust, Form 990 for FY 2007

Filings for prior years are available through the Foundation Center or GuideStar.

Coalition for Buzzards Bay Posts Annual Report

The Coalition for Buzzards Bay, which released its 2007 Annual Report at its 20th Annual Meeting on April 3, 2008, has posted the report on its website.

At nearly 25 pages, this attractive report details the Coalition’s efforts at baykeeper advocacy, bay monitoring, land conservation, and education & outreach. Also, it contains the treasurer’s report, with revenue of $5.9 million, and a list of donors.

The Coalition’s website also has Saving Buzzards Bay Lands: Campaign Final Report 2001-2006, as well as other reports and newsletters.

Community Preservation Act Has Generated More Than $1 Million for Falmouth Projects

"Community Preservation Act Has Provided $15.3 Million"
The Enterprise, April 25, 2008
By Martha V. Scanlon

FALMOUTH -- Since Falmouth adopted the Community Preservation Act in the spring of 2005, more than $15.3 million in community preservation funding has been allocated for projects around town ...

To date, the acquisition and conservation of open space has received $1.35 million, and has three projects in progress, including studies of Green Pond and Sippewissett Marsh. A study of the shellfish habitat in West Falmouth Harbor has not yet been started.

The largest open space project in progress is the acquisition of the Calebs Pond property in Waquoit. Spring Town Meeting approved $400,000 in community preservation funds toward the $1.81 million purchase of the 11.4-acre property. ... Also in progress is the purchase of the Haddad property in Menauhant, a joint project under open space and recreation. ... ©

Read the full article in The Enterprise.