April - May 2017


 

NATIONAL SEASHORE MAGAZINE

 

The 2016 issue is available. 

 

Click here.


 

IN THIS ISSUE
UPCOMING EVENTS

All events are FREE and take place at Salt Pond Visitor Center, Eastham, unless otherwise noted. 

For more information,
click here.
 
Thursday
 April 13

Film: Voice of Cape Cod
10 AM, 12 PM, 2 PM

Indoor Activity
Going Global:
Wireless communication
Titanic/Marconi Memorial Assoc
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Friday 
April 
 14

Indoor activity
Going Global: Wireless Communication
Titanic/Marconi Memorial Assoc
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Saturday 
April 15

Film: Titanic
1 PM

Going Global: Wireless Communication
9:00 AM - 2 PM

Indoor Activity
Learning Tables
10 AM - 3 PM

Walk: Whale Watch
Herring Cove Beach
10 AM

Sunday
April 16

Walk: Beech Forest Beauty
PLVC
10 AM

Monday
 April 17

Penniman House Tour
Fort Hill
11 AM

Tuesday 
April 18

Walk: Where the Spark of Magic Happened
Marconi Station Site
11 AM

Wednesday 
April 19

Junior Ranger Day
Touch a Truck
10:30 AM - 12 PM

Thursday
 April 20

Walk: Pond Exploration
Beech Trail Forest Trail Parking Lot
11 AM

Walk: Discover Nauset Marsh
2 PM

Friday
 April 21

Beach Cleanup
Location TBD


International Marconi Day
Nauset Coast Guard Station
9:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Film: Rescue
 at Sea
2 PM

Saturday
 April 22
Earth Day Walk
Hatches Harbor and Race Point Light
PLVC
10 AM

GIFT MEMBERSHIP

Consider giving a membership to a friend or family member -- a great way to support our magnificent Seashore!

IN MEMORY OF/
IN HONOR OF GIFT

Give a gift in memory of or in honor of a special person in your life by going to "Donate" on Friends website.

WILL BEQUESTS

If interested in learning more about arranging a bequest to Friends, please go to the Friends website, click on "Donate" and scroll to bottom to "Name the Friends of CCNS in Your Will."

BECOME A MEMBER

If you are receiving eNews but are not yet a Friends member, we encourage you to become a Friend. Go to "Join" at www.fccns.org.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED!

for a list of Friends' volunteer opportunities, or link directly to the Park's volunteer site.


FIND US ON FACEBOOK

 

 

 

 

 



The Red Maple Swamp Trail  


A message from our president

Dear FRIENDS,
                               
Well, it's spring!  How can we tell?  The brave daffodils have popped, a showy yellow against the drabness of browns and grays. Traffic has increased, although the ability to take left turns still delights us.

You will read below that Friends has presented $25,000 to the Park, proceeds from our fundraising targeted to the repair of the Red Maple Swamp Trail.  

Park officials emphasize that these funds indicate community support, and, as such, have value over and above the dollar amount. In this case, our support reinforced the Park's successful request for funds to complete repairs.

At our March board meeting, we voted to tackle our next project, the repair of Wellfleet's White Cedar Swamp Trail. 

Roughly the same age as the Red Maple Swamp Trail, it remains open, but in a state of decline. 

What an opportunity we have to fix it now!  Otherwise, it will suffer from the same fate that befell Eastham's jewel.  Stay tuned.

One last comment as we learn of the return of the plovers.  

"I saw the tender young of the piping plover, like chickens just hatched, mere pinches of down on two legs, running in troops, with a faint peep, along the edge of the waves."

 - Henry David Thoreau.

                                                               Pat Canavan
News from the Seashore


The plovers are back! 

The first piping plover sighting was March 26 in Wellfleet. We will keep you updated on their progress in Enews, or check the Park Facebook page. You can even join in the conversation about the plovers. 

The photo above comes from the Park's Facebook page. 


  Improvements at Salt Pond
 
Work on the outdoor amphitheater has resumed. Paving, rehab and painting of the doors, installation of bubblers and benches comprise most of the remaining work. 

Once the rehab is complete, the new AV system will be installed. Meanwhile indoors, the auditorium AV installation is almost complete. See the calendar events for upcoming movies and come check out the new system!

For more insight, click here.


CCNS Hosts Student Marine Art Exhibit
 
A display of marine artwork created by students will be on display at the Salt Pond Visitor Center from April 3 through the end of the month. 

The exhibition features winning art from  the 2016 Marine Art Contest sponsored by Massachusetts Marine Educators. 

The artwork features a variety of species, and was created by high school, middle school and elementary school students from across Massachusetts. 

Several students from Cape schools are represented, including Eddy Elementary in Brewster, Falmouth High School, and Nauset Regional High School.
Friends' News

White Cedar Swamp Trail 

Friends Votes to Raise Funds for the
Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail

Never content to rest on our laurels, the Friends board has approved our next fundraising effort - the renovation of Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail. 

Another favorite of locals and visitors alike, this trail has not yet been closed, but is in great need of repair.  

Friends will raise money and help to create local support and enthusiasm for the project which will make federal funding more likely.  

Stay tuned for more details!

 

Friends and the Park celebrate 
Red Maple Swamp success

Friends officially presented a check for $25,000 to George Price to assist in the refurbishment of the beloved Red Maple Swamp Trail. 

Thanks to the hard work and generosity of our members, the Park is now able to purchase a skid steer loader, which will not only significantly expedite work on this trail, but will be used for many other projects in the future. 

Even more importantly, the financial support of the Friends was key in leveraging the federal funding that will pay for the completion of the trail work. 
 Save the Dates

Earth Day Beach Clean-Up
April 21

Friends' members are welcome and encouraged to join us for our annual beach clean-up! 
Last year, volunteers collected 100 pounds of trash - 4007 pieces from 250 yards of beach, of which fewer than 40 were NOT plastic.

Details about this event will be provided to members in a separate email, or you can check our website soon.


Taste of the Cape to Benefit Friends
June 8

It's from 6 pm to 8 pm at the 
Eastham Four Points Sheraton. 
"Taste of the Cape", an epicurean extravaganza, will be presented by the Eastham Chamber of Commerce.

Advance tickets are $30, with proceeds to benefit Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore. 

In Memory and Appreciation 
The Passing of Jonathan Moore


A view from Fort Hill.

It is with extreme gratitude that Friends acknowledges the life and contributions of Jonathan Moore, an academic and public servant who served under six presidents and died on March 8th at the age of 84. 

In 1961, as an aide to U.S. Sen. Leverett Saltonstall (R-MA), Mr. Moore and his colleagues worked tirelessly to align the complicated interests of the Lower Cape towns, the Commonwealth and federal officials. 

Their efforts led to the creation of the Cape Cod National Seashore, signed into law by President John F. Kennedy on August 7, 1961. 

On one eventful visit during negotiations, Mr. Moore arranged for several members of Congress to tour the proposed Park boundaries by helicopter. 

The tour included Fort Hill where the visitors were especially impressed by the views. 

At the time, Fort Hill was not included in the proposed Park boundary and was slated for development. Fortunately Mr. Moore's effort paid off.

Three and a half months later, President Kennedy signed the Cape Cod National Seashore, including Fort Hill, into law.
 

Our Mission Statement

Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore (FCCNS) is the not-for-profit fundraising partner of the Cape Cod National Seashore; a partnership established in 1987 to help preserve, protect and enhance the fragile environment and unique cultural heritage of the Park. By leveraging existing federal support with additional private philanthropy, FCCNS engages members, donors and visitors alike in the shared values of cultural appreciation, environmental stewardship and historical preservation.