When certain shrubs are in the vicinity of fir trees, they can become infected with Pucciniastrum goeppertianum, a rust fungus that needs two different species to complete its life cycle. On […]
Environment
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. 29 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
MORNING FLIGHT
Bird-Watching From a Different Cape
Huge numbers of birds fly by Cape May on their fall migrations
By late October, migration is winding down on Cape Cod. Many of our summer visitors are gone, our warblers are filing out to be replaced by sparrows, and our winter […]
FISHERIES
DMF Wants to Draw New Clam Dredging Line
Conservationists and fishermen eye revised rules to protect eelgrass beds
PROVINCETOWN — Hydraulic dredging for surf clams has long been a contentious topic in Provincetown — where the town has been active in managing fishing off Herring Cove. This is […]
GREENER PASTURES
In the Shallows of Cape Cod, a Key Habitat Is at Risk
Work to restore eelgrass meadows begins in Orleans and Wellfleet
PROVINCETOWN — As recently as 100 years ago, the shallow waters around Cape Cod were home to thriving eelgrass meadows. These lush, rippling green stretches of habitat were hotspots of […]
MORNING FLIGHT
Bird-Watching From a Different Cape
Huge numbers of birds fly by Cape May on their fall migrations
By late October, migration is winding down on Cape Cod. Many of our summer visitors are gone, our warblers are filing out to be replaced by sparrows, and our winter […]
DON’T PANIC
A Trail for Times Like This
If you’re feeling a swell of anxiety as we approach the first Tuesday in November, maybe some panicgrass can help. The serene walking trail from Province Lands Road to Hatches […]
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. 22 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
ECONOMY
Wellfleet Oysters Make New Names for Themselves
Local growers try out individual brands for their already famous bivalves
WELLFLEET — From his farm, which lies where Loagy Bay meets Blackfish Creek at the end of Old Wharf Road in South Wellfleet, Andrew Jacob sells a catalog of uniquely […]
AMPHIBIANS
Threatened Toads That Struggle Elsewhere Thrive in Provincetown
Scientists are studying how eastern spadefoots evade deadly fungal disease
PROVINCETOWN — The coordinates came with a warning: “The information I just shared … is protected and confidential.” The sender, Alexander Richards, a Ph.D. student at UMass Boston, had gotten […]
I SPY A SWEETGUM
A Tree for In-Town Leaf-Peepers
Driving deep into New England to leaf-peep, you won’t be likely to spy many sweetgums — the tree’s range comes to an end in Connecticut and western Mass. The predominantly […]
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. 15 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
MORNING FLIGHT
Breakfast With the Birds
Seeds and suet fuel migrant flocks and year-rounders
A couple of weeks ago, I felt a chill in the air, and I knew it was time. I drove to Orleans, purchased a 40-pound sack of sunflower seeds, and […]
INFRASTRUCTURE
Provincetown and Truro Lay Groundwork for Water Expansion
Two select boards begin series of mediated sessions on shared approach
TRURO — After a year of work by town staff members, the select boards of Provincetown and Truro met jointly on Sept. 30 to learn more about the upcoming water […]
PUBLIC SAFETY
Sharkfishermen Alarm Surfers at Wellfleet Beach
White sharks were likely target of men armed with bluefish and a drone
WELLFLEET — Surfers at LeCount Hollow Beach called the Wellfleet police on the morning of Sept. 28 to report that three anglers were fishing for sharks there, one of them […]
