“Competitive birding” sounds like an oxymoron. People think of birding as a deeply personal hobby. It’s supposed to be about one’s connection with nature and desire to know one’s place […]
Visual Stories
WARRIORS WATCH
Track and Field Gears Up for Championships
A weekly round-up of Nauset Regional High School sports
EASTHAM — The Nauset boys and girls track teams placed second and third, respectively, at the Cape and Islands League Championship at Barnstable High School on Monday. Barnstable won the […]
PEEP SHOW
A Glimpse of Blue Toadflax
Squatting among the beach grass, plums, and roses that decorate the coastal bank bordering Wellfleet’s Mayo Beach is a colony of blue toadflax, a diminutive native wildflower whose beauty isn’t […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, May 21 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
The Inviting Opportunities of Gemini Season
Proof that harmony can happen in the social sphere
At the end of last week, the Sun moved from Taurus into Gemini. With that the astrological forces move from embracing times of comfort to inviting times of sociability and […]
FIELD DAY
A Glimpse of the Past at Motta Field
With major renovation approved, a look at the Motta Field that was
PROVINCETOWN — Many town residents are familiar with the name Motta — either because they have used Motta Field, the town’s 4.5-acre, rather antiquated sporting green, or because they have […]
FISHERIES
Fishermen Join Fight for Herring Trawler Rules
Push to save river herring may help protect the oceangoing species
The marine ecosystem around Cape Cod is built on the backs of Atlantic herring. These baitfish school in massive numbers, providing food for marine mammals, seabirds, and large fish like […]
NATIONAL SEASHORE
A Year Later, Dune Shack Leasing Contest Concludes
Longtime occupants of Watson and Jones shacks selected for 10-year leases
PROVINCETOWN — The public leasing contest for eight dune shacks on the windswept back shore of Provincetown and Truro that began on May 1, 2023 has nearly come to an […]
HABITATS
A ‘Cape Cod Lawn’ Can Be a Haven for Turtles
Invite nesting by keeping a scrubby yard with sandy patches, not a swath of green
When people design a back yard suitable for wildlife, they tend to create places that are appealing to birds and butterflies. That makes sense, because these animals are appealing visitors […]
MELBOURNE DISPATCH
An Essential Condiment Comes Home From Down Under
Fragrant chili oil makes noodles and greens memorable
It’s no secret: I’m promiscuous. About condiments, that is. I’ve almost never met a condiment I didn’t like. In my experience, having some good ones on hand means almost anything […]
MADE BY HAND
A Makers Renaissance in Provincetown
At The Commons, works crafted in metal and stone, silk and wool, paper and glue
Richard Cuencas holds a silver ring in his hand. “This was once a fork,” he says. “And this is made with black coral from the beach.” He points to a […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Reflections on Totality
Awed by the spectacle, strangers fleetingly become friends
Last month I watched the solar eclipse from a park in Westport, N.Y. by Lake Champlain. The lake and mountains beyond were a beautiful sight — a proper setting for […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Whales Have Moved North, and the Stripers Are Here
Special speed rules to protect whales are lifted for the season
The bass are here, and the right whales are not. The whales left a week ago, and the latest aerial survey found no right whales in the area, so NOAA […]
WARRIORS WATCH
Girls Golf, Baseball Lock Up Postseason Berths
A weekly round-up of Nauset Regional High School sports
EASTHAM — Nauset High’s baseball team (13-4) won three straight games over Dennis-Yarmouth, Martha’s Vineyard, and Wareham in the last week. Sophomore Jake Doherty had another solid outing, throwing a […]
CHEERS
Say It With Sassafras
The native Sassafras albidum is a tree full of wonders — scents of cinnamon and citrus from root to bark to tip; whimsical leaves shaped like mittens and tridents and footballs; resplendent […]