EASTHAM — Somewhat surprisingly, given that Cape Cod is an enormous glacial sandpile, the first European settlers to build permanent homes on the Outer Cape were in search of dirt. […]
Environment
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Ocean Gets a Good Mixing
Whales, dolphins, bass, and blues
Our recent inhospitable fall weather continued to dominate the waterfront, with east and northeast winds making going out and catching fish challenging. Despite the lack of southerly winds, though, water […]
UNAMBIGUOUSLY SALTY
In the Glow of the Glasswort
Glowing in the afternoon sun at Nauset Marsh like Chihuly art, Salicornia ambigua, the perennial glasswort, unambiguously lives up to its name. Evolved to survive the salt water as a […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Oct. 1 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
GULLY-WASHER
Downpours Cause Flooding, Beach Stair Collapse, and Shellfishing Closures
Eastham got 6.6 inches over the weekend; Provincetown got 3.2
After three sunny, dry weeks, parts of the Outer Cape got over half a foot of rain between Sept. 19 and 22. The National Weather Service reported that Eastham recorded […]
MORNING FLIGHT
Turn Your Ear Skyward for Bobolinks
The birds that helped reveal migration’s secrets are overhead now
Bink! The sound pinged overhead as I walked along High Toss Road in Wellfleet. It was a crisp early autumn morning, and the north winds overnight had dropped a smattering […]
OFF THE SHELF
Fungi Are Our Friends
The spooky season has a way of arriving overnight: one day candy corn suddenly appears on the grocery shelf, the next day shelves of candy corn pop up along the […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 24 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
ENVIRONMENT
Against the Wind: Questions About BOEM’s Fisheries Analysis
Maine-based anti-wind advocate Jerry Leeman leads a forum at the Truro library
TRURO — The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the final sale notice for the Gulf of Maine offshore wind project lease areas on Sept. 16. The agency shrunk […]
WOOD ASTER
Starry, Starry Days
Along the quiet back stretch of the Beech Forest trail, a sea of serrated hearts has been patiently photosynthesizing since the spring, steadfastly preparing for its late summer show. The […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 17 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
THE WATERSHED
Wellfleet Moves to Replace Cesspools and Old Septic Systems
The plan responds to state requirement to bring harbor nitrogen levels down
WELLFLEET — The board of health unveiled new regulations on Aug. 27 aimed at reducing nitrogen levels in Wellfleet Harbor and its estuaries. These regulations mandate cesspool removal and will […]
STRICT SCRUTINY
Proposed Beach Stairs Get OK From Cape Cod Commission
Homeowners’ proposal went through unusual state review after a local denial
TRURO — The Cape Cod Commission voted 11-1 on Sept. 5 to grant a Development of Regional Impact exemption for a proposed 200-foot stairway from a house at 3 Corn […]
MORNING FLIGHT
Birding on the Underwater Edge of the Continent
An overnight trip to witness sea life that thrives way, way offshore
HYANNIS PORT — We boarded the ship in the dark, 50 of us, schlepping backpacks and duffle bags and coolers of food. It was 5:30 in the morning, but most […]
TOO RELIABLE
Not Very Mindful, Not Very Demure
Clematis terniflora’s common name, sweet autumn clematis, does a lot of PR work for this badly behaved garden vine, which is repeatedly guilty of reseeding itself into neglected spaces and […]
