The Orleans Conservation Trust protects and restores natural lands—for people and wildlife, the health of our waters, and the character of our community. | | "Combating Invasive Plants & Vines on Cape Cod" Lecture | | |
Wednesday, April 2, 10am
3600 Rt. 6A, Brewster
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Learn how to correctly and efficiently tackle invasive plants and vines in your yard and on conservation lands.
Erik Sechler is the Ecological Programs Coordinator for the Native Plant Trust. He has more than 10 years’ experience working for a Natural Heritage Program and NatureServe as an ecologist. He holds a master’s degree in Conservation Biology from Antioch New England University. His professional interests include avian, natural community and conservation ecology; rare plant ecology; and invasive plant ecology and management. Sponsored by The Garden Club of Brewster, Brewster Conservation Trust, and Orleans Conservation Trust.
There is no charge for this event. A $5 donation is suggested.
| | "A History and a Future for Land Conservation on Cape Cod" Lecture | | |
Wednesday, April 9, 6:30pm
CHO Meetinghouse
3 River Road, Orleans
This presentation will provide an overview of themes driving efforts to preserve the Cape from early philanthropic gifts and civic beauty efforts to the powerful rise of land trusts and municipal programs beginning in earnest in the 1980s. Projected 21st century trends of eco-restoration and climate resilience will be discussed with a focus on local projects in Orleans.
Mark Robinson has served as director of The Compact since its founding in 1986. He has assisted Cape towns and land trusts in preserving more than 15,000 acres of land as open space since then. The Compact represents 32 local and regional nonprofit land trusts and watershed groups operating on Cape Cod. Mark has served on the board of the Mass. Land Trust Coalition and is a regular lecturer at the state and national conference of land trusts.
The lecture will take place at the CHO Meetinghouse, 3 River Road, Orleans. Doors open at 6pm; lecture starts at 6:30.
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Thursday, April 17, 2-3:30pm
80 Bakers Pond Road, Orleans
Search for signs of spring on this longer, brisk-paced walk: 1.75 miles on adjoining conservation lands around the “great pond” that straddles Orleans and Brewster.
| | National Go Birding Day Walk for Kids & Families | | |
Saturday, April 26, 9am & 10:30am
Boland Pond Trails, Orleans
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Monday, April 28, 9-10:30am
Orleans
With spring just around the corner, we eagerly await the return of red-winged blackbirds, osprey, alewives, singing spring peepers, and Preschool Explorers. Perfect for families with kids ages 2-5, we hope you’ll join Naturalist Ms. Andrea Higgins to get outside, get creative, and get moving during this adventure sponsored by Orleans Conservation Trust and Harwich Conservation Trust. Breathe in the fresh air, see signs of wildlife, and learn about the land we live on.
Location and driving directions will be included in your registration confirmation email.
Photos by Gerry Beetham.
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Volunteer Workdays are now scheduled for the first and third Thursday of each month. Can't make Thursday workdays, but still want to participate? Contact Sam O'Neill at sam@orleansconservationtrust.org
We're now using SignUp to organize our upcoming Volunteer Workdays!
Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:
1) Click here to see OCT's SignUp page.
2) Review the events listed and choose the spot(s) you'd like to sign up for.
3) Sign up! It's easy - and you will not need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.
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Thursday, April 3, 9:30-11:30am
Meet at 203 South Orleans Road, Orleans
Join us as we begin our season of monitoring and attempting to certify vernal pools in Orleans. Using resources and methods recently provided to us by the Dennis Conservation Land Trust through their Biodiversity Initiative, we will collect data on possible vernal pools in order to gain state certification and protection.
We will travel to several locations throughout Orleans. Come prepared to wade; bring hip boots or waders if available.
| | Henson's Cove Conservation Area Eco-Restoration | | |
Thursday, April 17, 9:30-11:30am
Meet at 203 South Orleans Road, Orleans
Help us remove silt fencing from a former eco-restoration site. This project will require digging and some heavy lifting, so come prepared with work gloves, water, any personal items you might need, and a fierce determination!
We will also work on invasive control with an eye toward Velvet Grass seed collection. Be sure to bring shoes and clothing appropriate for off-trail travel.
Due to limited parking, we will meet at the OCT office and carpool to the work area.
| | Town of Orleans Seeking Water Samplers | | |
The Town of Orleans Marine and Fresh Water Quality Committee is recruiting new water quality samplers for the 2025 season. Fresh water pond sampling begins in April, and marine estuary sampling begins in July. It's easy, it's fun, and you will work with a team of like-minded people who want to protect our local water resources. Sampling gets you out on the water and training is provided.
Please visit the Town of Orleans website (click the image above) to sign up and someone will contact you to follow up to get your started.
| | Apply Today for AmeriCorps Cape Cod | | |
Do you want to serve your community and make a tangible difference? Do you care about the environment and helping people in crisis? Do you love the outdoors?
Join AmeriCorps Cape Cod in making lasting impacts on Cape Cod, Massachusetts! Year 27 (2025-2026) service members will serve in the areas of natural resource management, disaster preparedness and response, environmental education, and community outreach. The term runs from September 2, 2025 to July 23, 2026. Applicants must be available to serve the entire term (vacation time provided) and live in provided residential housing.
You can read the Year 27 Position Description HERE. For more information, visit our website.
Applications are accepted starting in March 2025. The application will close on July 31, 2025, or when all 20 positions are filled, whichever comes first. It is likely that positions will fill quickly.
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Upcoming Walks:
- Baker's Pond (4/17)
- Preschool Explorers (4/28)
- Beach Walk to Namskaket (5/21)
- Preschool Explorers (5/30)
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Upcoming Talks:
- "Combating Invasive Plants & Vines on Cape Cod" by Erik Sechler (4/2)
- "A History and a Future for Land Conservation on Cape Cod" by Mark Robinson (4/9)
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At Home with Nature
Nature-friendly practices you can adopt for your yard
| | Native Plant of the Month: Downy Shadbush (Amelanchier arborea) | | |
This native shrub is named for the downy velvet of its leaf undersides and the April-May blossom of its flowers that coincide with the shad fish (herring) runs in New England. These early blooms of white flowers are exceptionally popular pollination sites for bees. Tolerant to varying levels of light, soil moisture, and pH, its range extends across the varying climates of the eastern half of North America. While it typically grows between 15–40 feet, it may reach heights up to 70 feet under full sunlight in well-drained, acidic soils.
Downy shadbush is typically found in meadows and woodland understories, often providing important resources for wildlife as an early colonizer of disturbed habitats. It is a larval host plant for numerous butterfly species, including the admiral, tiger swallowtail, viceroy, and striped hairstreak. Its berries are set around June and ripen into summer, at which point they are consumed by more than 40 bird species and many mammals. The seeds within these fruits are then stripped of their protective shells during digestive processes, allowing them to germinate once they are dropped by the animals.
| | Learn more about living At Home with Nature on our webpage. | | Orleans Conservation Trust is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1970. Over its 50-year history, the Trust has preserved more than 660 acres in Orleans. Among the most active land trusts on Cape Cod, OCT stewards a range of ecosystems, from freshwater ponds and wetlands to saltmarshes, wooded upland, and coastal grasslands, managing its lands to protect and enhance wildlife habitat, restore native ecosystems, and provide public recreation and education through a network of trails and informational signage. OCT also educates residents and visitors about important natural values and environmental issues in Orleans and around Cape Cod via guided walks, free lectures, its website, newsletter, and other communications. | | | | |
