Protecting Land, Connecting People for Over 40 Years!
Celebrating 40 years of preserving and protecting the Town of Barnstable’s natural assets, Barnstable Land Trust’s (BLT) 40th anniversary celebration spans throughout 2023. Connecting people to and with the land through a diverse range of programs and engagement opportunities during this milestone celebration, BLT is proud to continue its legacy of empowering current and future generations as community champions and stewards, dedicated to protecting and preserving Cape Cod’s natural environment.
40th Anniversary Events
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First Day Hikes
Created and championed by BLT, this regional celebration featured 11 free events celebrating the outdoors and attracting 500+ people during its second annual celebration.
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Words in the Wild
The second annual Words in the Wild program launched on Earth Day, featuring four local poets whose site-specific poems are etched on cedar-plank trail signs at Bansfield Meadows, Coombs Bog, Lowell Park Woodlands, and Bells Farm which are all BLT properties. Last year’s program added trail inspiration at Pogorelc Sanctuary, Fuller Farm, Ropes Field, and Eagle Pond.
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Tour de Barnstable
A popular charity bike ride benefitting Barnstable Land Trust and DEVO Cycling, this major event attracts hundreds of volunteers and cyclists who cruise by BLT properties as they use their pedal power to support these two nonprofits. A special 40-mile anniversary route is also being offered this year.
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Hike Barnstable Challenge
This special self-paced challenge encourages hikers of all ages and abilities to explore at least 40 miles on Town of Barnstable trails over 3 months (June – September) using BLT’s new trail guides (Barnstable Trail Guide in English and Portuguese, Cape Cod Pathways, and Eagle Pond/Little River Sanctuary). Related events are currently being scheduled to spotlight the health and wellness benefits of hiking, being outdoors, and exploring our natural environment.
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Flower Pot Music Concert
This innovative participatory musical event is part of the global Make Music Alliance’s celebration of the summer solstice and our natural environment. Held at BLT’s beautiful Ropes Field property in Cotuit, we are joining forces once again with Cape Symphony and the Cotuit Library for a hands-on evening of music and art-making in the great outdoors. Picnicking encouraged.
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Thoreau's Cape Cod Readathon
This first-of-its-kind, two-day live reading of Henry David Thoreau’s Cape Cod celebrates a remarkable work that depicts the natural beauty of Cape Cod and the environment that surrounds it. Inspired by national Moby Dick and Ulysses event models, over 90 in-person readers will represent voices from the community, nature lovers, local leaders, and Thoreau fans. A robust schedule of pre-events is being developed with local library partners, the Town of Concord, the Walden Woods Project, Thoreau’s Farm, the Thoreau Society, and others in a unique collaboration “Celebrating Thoreau from Concord to Cape Cod.”
Programs
Over 40 educational and experiential programs are being offered throughout the year. In addition to programs like an introduction to Cape Cod’s coastal ecology, bog stomping, and Lady Slipper hikes, BLT is also launching a new 5-part ‘bugs’ series in partnership with the County’s Cape Cod Cooperative Extension program which include sessions on edible insects and using bugs to solve crimes.
Additional Information
If you are interested in becoming involved with Barnstable Land Trust’s 40th Anniversary celebration, please contact Sue Dahling Sullivan, Director of Communications and Programs, at sue@blt.org or Kelsey Ellis, Director of Development, at kelsey@blt.org for sponsorship and business membership opportunities.