The Old Colony Nature Pathway is only 1.5 miles long, but its value to Provincetown visitors and residents is immeasurable.
The pathway bisects what is known as the Provincetown Greenway, a critical wetland and woodland corridor stretching across town from Foss Woods in the far East End to the Shank Painter Pond uplands and Clapps Pond in the west. With its rare cedar swamps and a mixed forest of pine and hardwoods, it serves as a vital habitat for species of special concern, including the northern bobwhite and the Eastern box turtle (which nest near the path), plus dozens of species of resident and migrating birds. In fact, the Old Colony Nature Pathway is crisscrossed by many meandering game paths: natural trails carved out by wildlife and traversed daily by four-legged animals.
For years, the nature pathway has been used by organizations for walks to help educate residents and visitors on both the history and natural environment of Cape Cod, featuring the special flora and fauna along the trail. Birders from around the world use the path to view migratory species at Foss Woods without having to watch their backs for traffic.
The path wends its way through dense woodlands and critical freshwater wetlands, including one of the few white cedar swamps on Cape Cod. It allows walkers to escape the hustle and bustle of Provincetown and be transported into the calm and quiet serenity of a wilderness away from hazard. As we all know far too well, there are not many places in town to accomplish that.
At a 2007 town meeting, Provincetown voted to call this parcel a “nature pathway,” indicating residents’ preference for conservation and preserving a natural walkway. But a recent survey from the town suggests turning the path into a paved thruway for bikes, electric bikes, scooters, and any other powered vehicle that can slip through the stanchions. This is wrongheaded. Provincetown deserves better.
While I laud the efforts of the town to encourage cycling as a more sustainable transportation option (I am a cyclist myself), turning our beloved walking trail into a busy bike thoroughfare is not the answer to expanding bike use in Provincetown. The cost to our wildlife and our pedestrians would be far too high. Surely we can brainstorm ways to make Route 6 a safer route for bicyclists coming in and out of town and for getting from one end to the other.
The open space committee is sponsoring Article 28 on the warrant for the April 1 town meeting. That article would place the Old Colony Nature Pathway under the care and custody of the conservation commission and out of danger of being paved over and developed into a vehicle thoroughfare. I encourage everyone to vote yes to help preserve this environmental gem.
William Mullin is vice chair of the open space committee and president of the Provincetown Conservation Trust.
