WELLFLEET — Fifteen concerned citizens gathered at the Flying Fish Café in Wellfleet on Nov. 15 to discuss bills now in play at the State House that aim to curb […]
Environment
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Why Orion the Hunter Is Rising This Evening
An astronomy lesson for five-year-olds of any age
With the end of daylight savings time, it’s suddenly darker much earlier in the evening. You may notice that the night sky has changed since those beach bonfires back in […]
ENVIRONMENT
A Mountain of ‘Sacrificial Sand’ Is Dumped at Blasch House
Coastal bank is replenished as property owners challenge town in court
WELLFLEET — The Blasch property is receiving another massive amount of “sacrificial sand” in an effort to stall the mansion’s collapse over the edge of a coastal bank. The 5,817-square-foot […]
FIRST RESPONSE
Police Station Gets First Renovation Since 1989
Roof, locker room, kitchen, and training room improvements under way
EASTHAM — The town’s police station was built 30 years ago and has stayed virtually unchanged ever since. But now some much needed exterior and interior renovations are under way. […]
ENVIRONMENT
Globe Brings Cape’s Climate Crisis to City Audience
A follow-up conference raises issues of equity, justice, and retreat from the coast
BOSTON — The Boston Globe’s multimedia reporting project “At the Edge of a Warming World,” published with much fanfare last month, held few surprises for Cape Codders. Most of it […]
WINTER WATCH
Keeping Lights On and Food Cold With a Home Generator
Towns and households are taking the season ahead seriously
In the wake of the Thursday, Oct. 17 nor’easter with winds of up to 90 mph Eversource received over 100,000 Cape Cod power outage reports. According to Eversource representative Reid […]
CLIMATE
An Ancient Cycle of Erosion Carves the Beach
What coastal scientists see as a natural process may be accelerating
TRURO — The nor’easter that struck the Outer Cape on Oct. 10 and lingered for almost three days caused massive erosion at Ballston Beach. Sand dunes and bluffs were carved […]
ENVIRONMENT
Shark Mitigation Study Offers No Guarantees
Woods Hole Group analyzed 27 alternatives
EASTHAM — “There isn’t a single alternative or suite of alternatives that can 100-percent guarantee the safety of all individuals who choose to enter the water,” coastal scientist Adam Finkle […]
oysterfest 2019
OysterFest Goes ‘Plastic Free’
Beer and wine in cans and stainless steel mugs replace plastic cups
WELLFLEET — Organizers of the Wellfeet OysterFest announced last week that this year’s event will be “plastic free” in response to rising concerns about the environmental impact of single-use plastics. […]
environment
Opening the Way for the Herring Run in Eastham
An easier swim for fish on a mission to Deborah's Pond
EASTHAM — The culvert connecting Great Pond and Deborah’s Pond will be replaced to allow significantly increased water flow, the conservation commission decided last week. This is good news for […]
ENVIRONMENT
Warmer Water Leads to Lobster Die-off in Cape Cod Bay
Animals died while trapped in waters with unprecedented low oxygen levels
The reports of dead lobsters being pulled from Cape Cod Bay started on Sept. 23. The cause: warmer than average late fall water temperatures and low wave action that led […]
environment
The DEP Says the Blasches May Build Their Wall
The town still hopes to prevail against the revetment in court
WELLFLEET — The owners of a mansion teetering on the edge of a dune near Great Island won approval from the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) to construct a […]
ENVIRONMENT
Permaculture Expert Teaches How to Grow Food in Our Forests
Kids and adults learn how agriculture can restore ecosystems at Nauset H.S. garden
EASTHAM — Restoration Agriculture author Mark Shepard of Wisconsin visited the Nauset Food and Research Garden at Nauset Regional High School last week to speak with about two dozen community […]
environment
A Battle for Whales Against Rope
Cape Cod lobstermen are frustrated by Maine’s withdrawal from rescue effort
Maine lobstermen have withdrawn their support for an agreement made last April to protect whales by limiting the amount of rope they use, and Cape Cod lobstermen are not happy. […]
PEOPLE
An Audubon Leader Fascinated by Humans
Melissa Lowe Cestaro on watching shifts in nature, culture, values
WELLFLEET — In September Melissa Lowe Cestaro became the director of Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. She succeeds Bob Prescott, who is retiring after nearly 40 years in the […]
