Little Parker Pond Restoration

Why is this project being proposed? The existing conditions in and surrounding Little Parkers Pond have been degraded by a combination of restricted tidal flows, build up of sediment within the pond, and invasive plant species displacing the native plant communities surrounding the pond. This has led to: 1 . Reduced water quality. 2. Increased nitrogen released in to downstream salt marsh and estuary. 3. Loss of benthic habitat and shellfish resources. 4. Loss of quality native plant communities. 5. Loss of the habitat associated with native plant communities. Read more »

Cape Symphony

  Join us for a delightful evening of music! Sunday, September 22nd 2:00-7:30 p.m. Barnstable Land Trust invites you to a performance by the Cape Symphony, featuring a program filled with the sounds of nature. Ticket holders are welcomed to a 2:00 p.m. pre-concert talk to learn about the environmentally-inspired musical program, followed by Beethoven on […] Read more »

Barnstable Land Trust 2019 Annual Meeting

Members are invited to BLT’s 36th Annual Meeting, which will take place at the Wianno Club in Osterville, overlooking spectacular Nantucket Sound! Learn about our shared achievements in conservation, hear from guest speaker Heather Goldstone, NPR Science Editor; and share a drink and the view from the patio with fellow members.  We will also honor the […] Read more »

The Arrival of Spring

Spring on Cape Cod is an elusive proposition at best. Some would describe it as a mirage, a distant hope, or just plain old wishful thinking. Even the first small flowers that emerge in March can easily be buried in snow from a surprise nor’easter. While most people look for signs of spring in their […] Read more »

BLT Preserves Bumps River Parcel and Completes Corridor Protection

As of April, 2019, this 6-acre woodland on Mill Pond in Centerville, called Mill Pond West Shore, is permanently protected, thanks to the conservation goals (and patience) of the Maddalena family. On the land conservation radar for over 30 years since the first Open Space Plan, the protection of the Bumps River wetland corridor is […] Read more »

Salt Marshes: Diverse Natural Nurseries

A wetland may be one of several different kinds of ecosystems, depending on the presence of water, the type of vegetation and soil, and its proximity to the water table. There are several types of wetlands, including barrier beaches and rocky shores, salt marshes and estuaries, ponds and lakes, bogs and swamps, and rivers and […] Read more »

Continued: Wildlife Camera Observations

In a previous post on camera trapping, I mentioned that the unveiling of the camera images back at the office often elicits awe. What have been my greatest moments of oohing and aahing? River Otter! I’ll admit, I turned to Google to confirm what I was seeing, since I have never encountered a river otter […] Read more »

Wildlife Camera Observations

  I unexpectedly and happily fell into the practice of wildlife camera trapping (and by camera trapping I mean capturing images of the animals, not trapping them). When I came to Barnstable Land Trust looking for a volunteer project and interested in ecology, Will Holden, BLT’s Land Stewardship Coordinator, told me about his idea to deploy a […] Read more »

The Ancient Horseshoe Crab

  One of the most remarkable marine animals in our waters is the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus), an ancient inhabitant of the sea. It survived the reign of the dinosaurs and continues to fascinate us today, 350 million years after it evolved. Found in tidal creeks, muddy shores, and the intertidal zone along the east coast, […] Read more »